Dracula Movie Critique – Luc Besson’s Romantic Reinterpretation of the Gothic Classic is Outlandish but Entertaining

Maybe there is no great enthusiasm for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for stylish excess. And yet, it’s worth noting: his lavishly upholstered love story with vampires boasts bold vision and flair – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, it could be preferable over Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, such as a scene that seems to depict a land border between France and Romania.

The Veteran Actor as a Clever but Weary Priest Tracking the Undead

Christoph Waltz embodies a humorous yet burdened cleric fighting vampires – I can’t believe he hasn’t played such a part earlier – who arrives in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the sinister Dracula, enacted by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone similar to Steve Carell’s Gru in the Despicable Me films. This character suits him perfectly.

The Story: A Chronicle of Longing

The plot unfolds as follows: the count has wandered endlessly the earth in torment for 400 years after his transformation into a vampire, a punishment for his faithless sorrow after the passing of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has looked tirelessly for some woman who would be the reincarnation of his departed beloved. By cruel fate, the chosen woman turns out to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the reserved future wife of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who lately visited to Dracula’s fortress to discuss his property portfolio and the small picture of the winsome Mina drew the vampire’s attention.

Besson’s Direction and Humorous Style

Besson organizes Dracula’s middle-section history of global roaming sporting extravagant attire confidently, and he willingly includes offering humorous scenes in the style of Mel Brooks – for example the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to end his own life following Elisabeta’s passing, as well as comical sequences that result after Dracula sprays himself using a particular scent in historic Florence, which makes him unavoidably attractive to females. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula is available digitally from 1 December and in disc format from December 22nd. It plays in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.