Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Romantic Revamp of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Ridiculous but Engaging
Maybe audiences aren’t clamoring for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for glossiness and bloat. And yet, it has to be said: his richly designed love story with vampires displays creativity and style – and amid its theatrical camp, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer compared with the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, including one shot that looks like it presents a territorial boundary between France and Romania.
Christoph Waltz as a Clever but Weary Priest Tracking the Undead
Christoph Waltz portrays a humorous yet burdened cleric fighting vampires – I can’t believe he hasn’t played this character previously – who arrives in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. Likewise present is the malevolent vampire count, brought to life by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone reminiscent of Steve Carell’s Gru from the Despicable Me comedies. This character that he too was born to take on.
The Plot: A Chronicle of Longing
The plot unfolds as follows: the vampire lord has traveled ceaselessly the world in torment over four centuries after his transformation into a vampire, a punishment 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 sought relentlessly for a lady who might be the rebirth of his departed beloved. By cruel fate, the fortunate female proves to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to the count’s castle to negotiate his real estate holdings and whose miniature portrait of the charming Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.
The Filmmaker’s Approach and Lighthearted Touch
Besson organizes Dracula’s second-act backstory of international journeys sporting extravagant attire confidently, and he doesn’t shy away from giving us humorous scenes in the style of Mel Brooks – for example Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to end his own life post-Elisabeta’s demise, in addition to absurd moments that result after Dracula sprays himself using a particular scent during the 1700s in Florence, which makes him irresistible to women. Outlandish but entertaining.
Dracula is on digital platforms beginning on the first of December and on DVD and Blu-ray starting the twenty-second of December. It screens in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.
