Dracula Review – Besson’s Romantic Reimagining of the Gothic Classic is Outlandish but Watchable
Maybe there is no great enthusiasm for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for polished extravagance. Still, it has to be said: his richly designed romantic vampire tale displays creativity and style – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer compared with Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, including one shot that looks like it presents a geographic divide between France and Romania.
Waltz as a Witty Yet Careworn Clergyman Hunting Vampires
Christoph Waltz embodies a humorous yet burdened man of the church pursuing the undead – I can’t believe he hasn’t played such a part earlier – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. So does the malevolent vampire count, played by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect reminiscent of Carell’s Gru character of the Despicable Me series. This is a part suits him perfectly.
The Narrative: A Tale of Love and Loss
The story is this: Dracula has wandered endlessly the world in torment over four centuries after his transformation into a vampire, a penalty due to his blasphemous mourning over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). the vampire has sought relentlessly for some woman who would be the return of his deceased partner. By cruel fate, the fortunate female turns out to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the modest betrothed of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to the vampire’s estate to discuss his real estate holdings and the tiny painting of the winsome Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.
The Filmmaker’s Approach and Lighthearted Touch
Besson organizes Dracula’s second-act backstory of international journeys sporting extravagant attire with a sure hand, and he willingly includes giving us funny bits with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – such as Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to kill himself after Elisabeta’s death, in addition to absurd moments that occur when Dracula applies to himself in a certain perfume in historic Florence, which makes him unavoidably attractive to females. Ridiculous and watchable.
Dracula is on digital platforms starting December 1st and in disc format from 22 December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
