Dracula Review – The French Director’s Romantic Reimagining of the Classic Horror Story is Outlandish but Entertaining
Maybe there is no great enthusiasm for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for polished extravagance. However, it’s worth noting: his lavishly upholstered vampire romance displays creativity and style – and with its B-movie charm, it could be preferable over the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, such as a scene that seems to depict a territorial boundary between France and Romania.
The Veteran Actor as a Clever but Weary Priest Tracking the Undead
Christoph Waltz portrays a humorous yet burdened man of the church pursuing the undead – I can’t believe he hasn’t played such a part earlier – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. The same goes for the evil Count Dracula, brought to life by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent evoking Carell’s Gru character of the Despicable Me series. This is a part that he too was born to take on.
The Narrative: A Chronicle of Longing
The story is this: the count has been restlessly roaming the world in sorrow for 400 years after his transformation into a vampire, a punishment for his faithless sorrow following the loss of his beloved Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). The count has been searching, searching, searching for some woman who would be the return of his lost love. Unfortunately, the fortunate female turns out to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the modest betrothed of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the count’s castle to review his real estate holdings and the small picture of the lovely Mina drew the vampire’s attention.
The Filmmaker’s Approach and Comic Flair
Besson arranges Dracula’s second-act backstory of worldwide travels wearing flamboyant outfits skillfully, and he is not above offering humorous scenes in the style of Mel Brooks – such as the count’s repeated and futile attempts to kill himself after Elisabeta’s death, as well as absurd moments that follow Dracula douses himself with a specific fragrance in historic Florence, which causes him to be irresistible to women. Ridiculous and watchable.
Dracula is available digitally 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.
