Dracula Review – Besson’s Passionate Reinterpretation of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Ridiculous but Engaging
It’s possible there is no great enthusiasm for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for polished extravagance. Still, it has to be said: his lavishly upholstered love story with vampires boasts bold vision and flair – and with its B-movie charm, it could be preferable compared with the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, including one shot that seems to depict a land border between France and Romania.
Christoph Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Clergyman Hunting Vampires
Christoph Waltz embodies a humorous yet burdened vampire-hunting priest – I can’t believe he hasn’t played such a part earlier – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the evil Count Dracula, enacted by the expert in grotesque roles Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone reminiscent of Carell’s Gru character in the Despicable Me films. This is a part that he too was born to take on.
The Plot: A Tale of Love and Loss
Here’s the premise: Dracula has wandered endlessly the earth in anguish for hundreds of years after his transformation into a vampire, a penalty for his faithless sorrow after the passing of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). The count has sought relentlessly for a lady who would be the rebirth of his lost love. As ill fortune would have it, the fortunate female is revealed as Mina (again played by Bleu), the reserved future wife of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to the vampire’s estate to review his property portfolio and the small picture of the lovely Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.
The Filmmaker’s Approach and Lighthearted Touch
Besson structures Dracula’s middle-section history of worldwide travels sporting extravagant attire confidently, and he willingly includes giving us some comedy moments reminiscent of Mel Brooks – such as the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to kill himself post-Elisabeta’s demise, along with farcical scenes that result after Dracula applies to himself using a particular scent in 18th-century Florence, which causes him to be irresistible to women. Ridiculous and watchable.
Dracula is on digital platforms from 1 December and for physical purchase starting the twenty-second of December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
