Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Romantic Reimagining of the Gothic Classic is Ridiculous but Watchable

It’s possible there is no great enthusiasm for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for stylish excess. And yet, it has to be said: his richly designed love story with vampires has ambition and panache – and amid its theatrical camp, I might just favor to it to Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, such as a scene that seems to depict a geographic divide between France and Romania.

The Veteran Actor as a Clever but Weary Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz plays a clever but beleaguered cleric fighting vampires – it’s surprising he never took on this role before – who arrives in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. The same goes for the malevolent vampire count, brought to life by the expert in grotesque roles Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone evoking Carell’s Gru character of the Despicable Me series. It’s a role that he too was born to take on.

The Narrative: A Tale of Love and Loss

The plot unfolds as follows: the vampire lord has been restlessly roaming the world in anguish over four centuries after his transformation into a vampire, a punishment due to his blasphemous mourning after the passing of his beloved Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). the vampire has looked tirelessly for a lady who could be the rebirth of his lost love. Unfortunately, the fortunate female turns out to be Mina (also Bleu, of course), the reserved future wife of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who lately visited to the vampire’s estate to discuss his real estate holdings and the tiny painting of the winsome Mina drew the vampire’s attention.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Humorous Style

Besson organizes Dracula’s second-act backstory of worldwide travels sporting extravagant attire skillfully, and he willingly includes offering funny bits reminiscent of Mel Brooks – for example the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to end his own life after Elisabeta’s death, in addition to absurd moments that result after Dracula applies to himself in a certain perfume in historic Florence, which causes him to be compelling to the opposite sex. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula is on digital platforms starting December 1st and for physical purchase from 22 December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.