Dracula Movie Critique – Luc Besson’s Love-Struck Revamp of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Ridiculous but Engaging

It’s possible interest is limited for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for stylish excess. And yet, one must admit: his opulently crafted love story with vampires boasts bold vision and flair – and amid its theatrical camp, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer to it to Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, like a particular moment that looks like it presents a territorial boundary between France and Romania.

Christoph Waltz as a Witty Yet Careworn Priest Tracking the Undead

Christoph Waltz plays a humorous yet burdened cleric fighting vampires – it feels natural for him to tackle this character previously – who ends up in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. So does the sinister Dracula, brought to life by the expert in grotesque roles Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone similar to the voice of Gru by Steve Carell of the Despicable Me series. This character he seemed destined to play.

The Plot: A Saga of Heartbreak

The plot unfolds as follows: the vampire lord has traveled ceaselessly the globe in sorrow for 400 years following his rise as one of the undead, a penalty for his irreligious grief over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). The count has looked tirelessly for a female who might be the rebirth of his lost love. As ill fortune would have it, the fortunate female turns out to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the modest betrothed of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the vampire’s estate to discuss his real estate holdings and the tiny painting of the charming Mina drew the vampire’s attention.

Besson’s Direction and Humorous Style

Besson arranges Dracula’s flashback sequence of international journeys wearing flamboyant outfits confidently, and he doesn’t shy away from offering humorous scenes with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – for example the count’s repeated and futile attempts to end his own life following Elisabeta’s passing, along with absurd moments that result after Dracula applies to himself with a specific fragrance in historic Florence, that renders him irresistible to women. Outlandish but entertaining.

Dracula can be streamed online from 1 December and on DVD and Blu-ray from December 22nd. It screens in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.