Dracula Movie Critique – Luc Besson’s Passionate Reinterpretation of the Classic Horror Story is Absurd but Watchable

Maybe there is no great enthusiasm for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for stylish excess. And yet, one must admit: his richly designed vampire romance has ambition and panache – and amid its theatrical camp, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer over Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, including one shot that seems to depict a land border between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Clever but Weary Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz embodies a humorous yet burdened cleric fighting vampires – it’s surprising he never took on this character previously – who ends up in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. The same goes for the sinister Dracula, brought to life by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone reminiscent of Steve Carell’s Gru in the Despicable Me films. This character he seemed destined to play.

The Plot: A Saga of Heartbreak

Here’s the premise: the vampire lord has traveled ceaselessly the earth in torment for 400 years since he became undead, a penalty for his faithless sorrow after the passing of his wife, Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has been searching, searching, searching for a lady who would be the return of his lost love. Unfortunately, the fortunate female is revealed as Mina (also Bleu, of course), the modest betrothed of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the count’s castle to discuss his property portfolio and whose miniature portrait of the charming Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Humorous Style

Besson organizes Dracula’s flashback sequence of worldwide travels sporting extravagant attire with a sure hand, and he willingly includes offering humorous scenes with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – like the count’s repeated and futile attempts to kill himself following Elisabeta’s passing, along with farcical scenes that follow Dracula applies to himself using a particular scent in historic Florence, which makes him compelling to the opposite sex. Outlandish but entertaining.

Dracula is available digitally from 1 December and on DVD and Blu-ray starting the twenty-second of December. It screens in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.