Dracula Movie Critique – Besson’s Romantic Reimagining of the Gothic Classic is Outlandish but Entertaining

Maybe audiences aren’t clamoring for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for glossiness and bloat. Still, one must admit: his richly designed love story with vampires displays creativity and style – and with its B-movie charm, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer over the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, like a particular moment that looks like it presents a land border between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Witty Yet Careworn Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz portrays a clever but beleaguered man of the church pursuing the undead – it feels natural for him to tackle this character previously – who arrives in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. The same goes for the malevolent vampire count, enacted by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone reminiscent of Steve Carell’s Gru from the Despicable Me comedies. This character he seemed destined to play.

The Plot: A Saga of Heartbreak

The story is this: the vampire lord has been restlessly roaming the globe in torment for hundreds of years since he became undead, a punishment for his faithless sorrow over the death of his spouse Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). Dracula has looked tirelessly for some woman who would be the rebirth of his deceased partner. Unfortunately, the fortunate female turns out to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the modest betrothed of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the vampire’s estate to discuss his property portfolio and the small picture of the winsome Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Comic Flair

Besson arranges Dracula’s flashback sequence of international journeys wearing flamboyant outfits with a sure hand, and he is not above offering humorous scenes reminiscent of Mel Brooks – such as the count’s repeated and futile attempts to end his own life following Elisabeta’s passing, in addition to comical sequences that follow Dracula douses himself with a specific fragrance in historic Florence, which causes him to be compelling to the opposite sex. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula can be streamed online starting December 1st and in disc format from 22 December. It screens in Australian cinemas beginning on the fifth of February, 2026.