Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Romantic Reinterpretation of the Gothic Classic is Ridiculous but Watchable

Maybe there is no great enthusiasm for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for polished extravagance. And yet, it has to be said: his lavishly upholstered vampire romance boasts bold vision and flair – and with its B-movie charm, it could be preferable compared with Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, like a particular moment that appears to show a land border between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Clever but Weary Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz embodies a witty yet careworn vampire-hunting priest – it feels natural for him to tackle this character previously – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. So does the evil Count Dracula, played by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent evoking Steve Carell’s Gru from the Despicable Me comedies. This character suits him perfectly.

The Narrative: A Tale of Love and Loss

Here’s the premise: the vampire lord has traveled ceaselessly the earth in torment over four centuries following his rise as one of the undead, a punishment for his irreligious grief over the death of his beloved Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has looked tirelessly for a female who might be the reincarnation of his lost love. As ill fortune would have it, the lucky lady proves to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the demure fiancee of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to the count’s castle to negotiate his property portfolio and the tiny painting of the lovely Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.

Besson’s Direction and Lighthearted Touch

Besson organizes Dracula’s flashback sequence of international journeys wearing flamboyant outfits confidently, and he is not above offering humorous scenes with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – such as Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to kill himself following Elisabeta’s passing, in addition to farcical scenes that follow Dracula sprays himself with a specific fragrance in 18th-century Florence, that renders him unavoidably attractive to females. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula can be streamed online beginning on the first of December and in disc format starting the twenty-second of December. It plays in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.