Dracula Movie Critique – The French Director’s Love-Struck Reimagining of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Absurd but Entertaining

It’s possible audiences aren’t clamoring for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for polished extravagance. However, one must admit: his opulently crafted romantic vampire tale boasts bold vision and flair – and with its B-movie charm, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer compared with Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, such as a scene that appears to show a territorial boundary between France and Romania.

Christoph Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Priest Tracking the Undead

Christoph Waltz portrays a clever but beleaguered man of the church pursuing the undead – it feels natural for him to tackle this role before – who arrives in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. The same goes for the evil Count Dracula, enacted by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone evoking Steve Carell’s Gru in the Despicable Me films. This character suits him perfectly.

The Plot: A Tale of Love and Loss

The story is this: the vampire lord has been restlessly roaming the globe in sorrow for hundreds of years following his rise as one of the undead, a punishment for his irreligious grief over the death of his beloved Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). The count has sought relentlessly 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 modest betrothed of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the count’s castle 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 middle-section history of worldwide travels in various outrageous costumes skillfully, and he doesn’t shy away from offering funny bits reminiscent of Mel Brooks – such as the count’s repeated and futile attempts to end his own life post-Elisabeta’s demise, in addition to comical sequences that follow Dracula douses himself using a particular scent during the 1700s in Florence, which makes him unavoidably attractive to females. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula is available digitally from 1 December and on DVD and Blu-ray from 22 December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.