Dracula Review – The French Director’s Romantic Reimagining of the Classic Horror Story is Absurd but Engaging

Perhaps interest is limited for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for polished extravagance. And yet, it has to be said: his richly designed vampire romance boasts bold vision and flair – 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, including one shot that appears to show a territorial boundary between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Clever but Weary Priest Tracking the Undead

Christoph Waltz embodies a clever but beleaguered man of the church pursuing the undead – it feels natural for him to tackle this role before – who ends up in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. The same goes for the sinister Dracula, enacted by the expert in grotesque roles Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent reminiscent of the voice of Gru by Steve Carell of the Despicable Me series. It’s a role suits him perfectly.

The Narrative: A Chronicle of Longing

Here’s the premise: Dracula has wandered endlessly the earth in sorrow for 400 years since he became undead, a penalty for his irreligious grief following the loss of his spouse Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). the vampire has looked tirelessly for some woman who could be the return of his departed beloved. By cruel fate, the fortunate female is revealed as Mina (also Bleu, of course), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who just traveled to Dracula’s fortress to discuss his real estate holdings and the small picture of the winsome Mina drew the vampire’s attention.

Besson’s Handling and Humorous Style

Besson arranges Dracula’s flashback sequence of international journeys wearing flamboyant outfits confidently, and he is not above offering funny bits with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – like the count’s repeated and futile attempts to commit suicide following Elisabeta’s passing, along with comical sequences that follow Dracula douses himself in a certain perfume during the 1700s in Florence, that renders him unavoidably attractive to females. Ridiculous and watchable.

Dracula is available digitally beginning on the first of December and in disc format starting the twenty-second of December. It screens in Australian cinemas beginning on the fifth of February, 2026.