Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Romantic Reimagining of the Classic Horror Story is Absurd but Engaging
It’s possible audiences aren’t clamoring for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for polished extravagance. However, it has to be said: his lavishly upholstered romantic vampire tale displays creativity and style – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer to it to Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, such as a scene that seems to depict a territorial boundary between France and Romania.
Christoph Waltz as a Clever but Weary Priest Tracking the Undead
Christoph Waltz embodies a humorous yet burdened man of the church pursuing the undead – it feels natural for him to tackle this character previously – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. So does the malevolent vampire count, brought to life by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone reminiscent of the voice of Gru by Steve Carell of the Despicable Me series. It’s a role suits him perfectly.
The Narrative: A Tale of Love and Loss
The story is this: the vampire lord has traveled ceaselessly the globe in sorrow for 400 years following his rise as one of the undead, a consequence for his irreligious grief after the passing of his wife, Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). The count has looked tirelessly for a lady who might be the rebirth of his deceased partner. As ill fortune would have it, the lucky lady is revealed as Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the modest betrothed of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the vampire’s estate to negotiate his land assets and the tiny painting of the winsome Mina drew the vampire’s attention.
Besson’s Direction and Lighthearted Touch
Besson arranges Dracula’s flashback sequence of international journeys wearing flamboyant outfits skillfully, and he doesn’t shy away from providing humorous scenes in the style of Mel Brooks – such as the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to commit suicide following Elisabeta’s passing, as well as absurd moments that result after Dracula applies to himself in a certain perfume in 18th-century Florence, which causes him to be compelling to the opposite sex. Absurd yet engaging.
Dracula can be streamed online beginning on the first of December and in disc format starting the twenty-second of December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
