Dracula Review – The French Director’s Love-Struck Reimagining of the Gothic Classic is Ridiculous but Entertaining

Perhaps audiences aren’t clamoring for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for stylish excess. Still, it has to be said: his lavishly upholstered vampire romance boasts bold vision and flair – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, it could be preferable to it to Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, like a particular moment that appears to show a geographic divide between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Witty Yet Careworn Vampire-Hunting Priest

Christoph Waltz portrays a clever but beleaguered cleric fighting vampires – it feels natural for him to tackle this role before – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the evil Count Dracula, enacted by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent reminiscent of the voice of Gru by Steve Carell from the Despicable Me comedies. It’s a role suits him perfectly.

The Narrative: A Saga of Heartbreak

The plot unfolds as follows: Dracula has been restlessly roaming the globe in anguish over four centuries following his rise as one of the undead, a punishment due to his blasphemous mourning over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). the vampire has looked tirelessly for some woman who would be the reincarnation of his deceased partner. Unfortunately, the lucky lady proves to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s wimpish land agent, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to Dracula’s fortress to negotiate his property portfolio and whose miniature portrait of the lovely Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Lighthearted Touch

Besson arranges Dracula’s flashback sequence of international journeys in various outrageous costumes confidently, and he doesn’t shy away from providing funny bits in the style of Mel Brooks – like the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to end his own life after Elisabeta’s death, along with absurd moments that follow Dracula sprays himself with a specific fragrance in 18th-century Florence, which makes him unavoidably attractive to females. Absurd yet engaging.

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