Dracula Movie Critique – The French Director’s Love-Struck Revamp of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Ridiculous but Entertaining

Maybe audiences aren’t clamoring for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for stylish excess. Still, it has to be said: his lavishly upholstered vampire romance boasts bold vision and flair – and with its B-movie charm, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer to it to the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, like a particular moment that seems to depict a land border between France and Romania.

Christoph Waltz as a Clever but Weary Vampire-Hunting Priest

Christoph Waltz plays a clever but beleaguered cleric fighting vampires – it’s surprising he never took on this role before – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. The same goes for the sinister Dracula, brought to life by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent similar to Carell’s Gru character of the Despicable Me series. It’s a role suits him perfectly.

The Story: A Chronicle of Longing

Here’s the premise: Dracula has traveled ceaselessly the world in sorrow for hundreds of years since he became undead, a penalty due to his blasphemous mourning following the loss of his spouse Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). The count has been searching, searching, searching for a lady who might be the reincarnation of his departed beloved. By cruel fate, the chosen woman turns out to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the reserved future wife of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to Dracula’s fortress to negotiate his property portfolio and the small picture of the lovely Mina drew the vampire’s attention.

Besson’s Handling and Comic Flair

Besson arranges Dracula’s second-act backstory of international journeys sporting extravagant attire with a sure hand, and he willingly includes offering humorous scenes in the style of Mel Brooks – like the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to kill himself after Elisabeta’s death, in addition to absurd moments that occur when Dracula applies to himself in a certain perfume in 18th-century Florence, which causes him to be unavoidably attractive to females. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula can be streamed online starting December 1st and on DVD and Blu-ray from 22 December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.