Dracula Review – Besson’s Love-Struck Revamp of the Gothic Classic is Ridiculous but Entertaining

Maybe interest is limited for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for polished extravagance. And yet, it’s worth noting: his opulently crafted vampire romance has ambition and panache – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer over the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, like a particular moment that appears to show a territorial boundary between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz plays a humorous yet burdened man of the church pursuing the undead – I can’t believe he hasn’t played this character previously – who arrives in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. So does the malevolent vampire count, enacted by the body-horror veteran 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 he seemed destined to play.

The Plot: A Tale of Love and Loss

The plot unfolds as follows: the count has traveled ceaselessly the world in sorrow for 400 years following his rise as one of the undead, a consequence for his faithless sorrow following the loss of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). Dracula has looked tirelessly for a lady who might be the return of his lost love. Unfortunately, the lucky lady turns out to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the count’s castle to discuss his property portfolio and the tiny painting of the charming Mina drew the vampire’s attention.

Besson’s Handling and Humorous Style

Besson arranges Dracula’s middle-section history of worldwide travels sporting extravagant attire confidently, and he doesn’t shy away from offering some comedy moments with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – like the count’s repeated and futile attempts to kill himself after Elisabeta’s death, along with absurd moments that result after Dracula douses himself with a specific fragrance during the 1700s in Florence, which causes him to be unavoidably attractive to females. Ridiculous and watchable.

Dracula is on digital platforms beginning on the first of December and in disc format from 22 December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.