Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Passionate Reimagining of the Gothic Classic is Absurd but Entertaining

It’s possible interest is limited for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for glossiness and bloat. Still, one must admit: his lavishly upholstered vampire romance boasts bold vision and flair – and amid its theatrical camp, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer to it to Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, including one shot that appears to show a geographic divide between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Clever but Weary Priest Tracking the Undead

Christoph Waltz plays a clever but beleaguered cleric fighting vampires – it feels natural for him to tackle this character previously – who ends up in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. The same goes for the malevolent vampire count, brought to life by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect similar to Steve Carell’s Gru of the Despicable Me series. This character that he too was born to take on.

The Narrative: A Saga of Heartbreak

The plot unfolds as follows: the count has been restlessly roaming the earth in anguish for hundreds of years since he became undead, a punishment for his irreligious grief over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). the vampire has been searching, searching, searching for a lady who would be the return of his lost love. Unfortunately, the lucky lady proves to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the vampire’s estate to discuss his property portfolio and the small picture of the charming Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.

Besson’s Handling and Comic Flair

Besson organizes Dracula’s middle-section history of worldwide travels sporting extravagant attire skillfully, and he is not above providing funny bits in the style of Mel Brooks – like the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to end his own life following Elisabeta’s passing, as well as comical sequences that result after Dracula applies to himself with a specific fragrance during the 1700s in Florence, which makes him irresistible to women. Outlandish but entertaining.

Dracula can be streamed online from 1 December and on DVD and Blu-ray starting the twenty-second of December. It screens in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.