Dracula Movie Critique – Besson’s Romantic Revamp of the Classic Horror Story is Ridiculous but Watchable
Perhaps audiences aren’t clamoring for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for stylish excess. Still, it’s worth noting: his opulently crafted vampire romance boasts bold vision and flair – and amid its theatrical camp, I might just favor over Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, such as a scene that appears to show a land border between France and Romania.
Waltz as a Clever but Weary Vampire-Hunting Priest
Christoph Waltz portrays a witty yet careworn man of the church pursuing the undead – it’s surprising he never took on this character previously – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the evil Count Dracula, enacted by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect reminiscent of the voice of Gru by Steve Carell of the Despicable Me series. This character he seemed destined to play.
The Plot: A Chronicle of Longing
The plot unfolds as follows: Dracula has wandered endlessly the world in torment over four centuries following his rise as one of the undead, a punishment for his irreligious grief following the loss of his beloved Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). The count has sought relentlessly for some woman who could be the reincarnation of his deceased partner. Unfortunately, the chosen woman is revealed as Mina (also Bleu, of course), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s wimpish land agent, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to the vampire’s estate to discuss his real estate holdings and whose miniature portrait of the winsome Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.
Besson’s Handling and Lighthearted Touch
Besson structures Dracula’s second-act backstory of international journeys wearing flamboyant outfits confidently, and he doesn’t shy away from providing funny bits reminiscent of Mel Brooks – such as the count’s repeated and futile attempts to kill himself following Elisabeta’s passing, as well as comical sequences that occur when Dracula douses himself in a certain perfume in 18th-century Florence, which makes him compelling to the opposite sex. Absurd yet engaging.
Dracula is on digital platforms starting December 1st and on DVD and Blu-ray from December 22nd. It will be shown in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.
