Dracula Review – Besson’s Romantic Reimagining of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Absurd but Engaging
It’s possible audiences aren’t clamoring for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for polished extravagance. And yet, it’s worth noting: his lavishly upholstered vampire romance boasts bold vision and flair – and with its B-movie charm, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer over Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, like a particular moment that looks like it presents a geographic divide between France and Romania.
The Veteran Actor as a Humorously Exhausted Clergyman Hunting Vampires
Christoph Waltz portrays a humorous yet burdened cleric fighting vampires – it’s surprising he never took on such a part earlier – who arrives in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. The same goes for the malevolent vampire count, played by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect reminiscent of the voice of Gru by Steve Carell from the Despicable Me comedies. This is a part suits him perfectly.
The Plot: A Tale of Love and Loss
The plot unfolds as follows: Dracula has wandered endlessly the globe in anguish over four centuries following his rise as one of the undead, a penalty due to his blasphemous mourning over the death of his spouse Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has sought relentlessly for a lady who would be the reincarnation of his lost love. By cruel fate, the fortunate female turns out to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the reserved future wife of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the vampire’s estate to discuss his property portfolio and whose miniature portrait of the lovely Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.
Besson’s Handling and Comic Flair
Besson structures Dracula’s flashback sequence of worldwide travels in various outrageous costumes skillfully, and he willingly includes offering funny bits reminiscent of Mel Brooks – like the count’s repeated and futile attempts to end his own life post-Elisabeta’s demise, as well as comical sequences that occur when Dracula sprays himself with a specific fragrance in historic Florence, which causes him to be unavoidably attractive to females. Ridiculous and watchable.
Dracula is available digitally beginning on the first of December and on DVD and Blu-ray from December 22nd. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
