Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Romantic Reimagining of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Absurd but Watchable

It’s possible there is no great enthusiasm for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for polished extravagance. Still, one must admit: his richly designed romantic vampire tale displays creativity and style – and with its B-movie charm, it could be preferable over Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, like a particular moment that seems to depict a geographic divide between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz plays a humorous yet burdened vampire-hunting priest – it feels natural for him to tackle this role before – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. So does the malevolent vampire count, played by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect evoking the voice of Gru by Steve Carell in the Despicable Me films. This is a part suits him perfectly.

The Plot: A Tale of Love and Loss

Here’s the premise: Dracula has been restlessly roaming the earth in sorrow over four centuries following his rise as one of the undead, a penalty for his irreligious grief after the passing of his wife, Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). Dracula has been searching, searching, searching for some woman who could be the return of his deceased partner. As ill fortune would have it, the fortunate female proves to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the demure fiancee of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the count’s castle to review his land assets and the small picture of the charming Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Lighthearted Touch

Besson organizes Dracula’s second-act backstory of global roaming in various outrageous costumes confidently, and he willingly includes offering humorous scenes in the style of Mel Brooks – like the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to kill himself following Elisabeta’s passing, along with farcical scenes that occur when Dracula applies to himself using a particular scent during the 1700s in Florence, which makes him irresistible to women. Ridiculous and watchable.

Dracula can be streamed online starting December 1st and in disc format from December 22nd. It will be shown in Australian cinemas beginning on the fifth of February, 2026.