Dracula Review – The French Director’s Love-Struck Reimagining of the Gothic Classic is Outlandish but Watchable
Maybe audiences aren’t clamoring for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for polished extravagance. Still, it has to be said: his richly designed romantic vampire tale has ambition and panache – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, it could be preferable compared with the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, like a particular moment that looks like it presents a land border between France and Romania.
Christoph Waltz as a Witty Yet Careworn Priest Tracking the Undead
Christoph Waltz portrays a clever but beleaguered man of the church pursuing the undead – it’s surprising he never took on this character previously – who ends up in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. So does the malevolent vampire count, played by the expert in grotesque roles Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent evoking Steve Carell’s Gru from the Despicable Me comedies. This character that he too was born to take on.
The Plot: A Chronicle of Longing
The story is this: Dracula has wandered endlessly the earth in sorrow for 400 years following his rise as one of the undead, a consequence for his faithless sorrow over the death of his beloved Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). the vampire has been searching, searching, searching for a lady who would be the reincarnation of his departed beloved. Unfortunately, the chosen woman proves to be Mina (portrayed once more 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 the small picture of the lovely Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.
Besson’s Direction and Lighthearted Touch
Besson organizes Dracula’s flashback sequence of international journeys wearing flamboyant outfits with a sure hand, and he willingly includes offering funny bits in the style of Mel Brooks – like Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to kill himself following Elisabeta’s passing, along with absurd moments that follow Dracula sprays himself using a particular scent in 18th-century Florence, that renders him irresistible to women. Ridiculous and watchable.
Dracula can be streamed online from 1 December and on DVD and Blu-ray from December 22nd. It will be shown in Australian cinemas beginning on the fifth of February, 2026.