Dracula Movie Critique – Besson’s Love-Struck Reimagining of the Gothic Classic is Absurd but Watchable
It’s possible interest is limited for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for stylish excess. However, one must admit: his richly designed love story with vampires boasts bold vision and flair – and with its B-movie charm, it could be preferable over Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, including one shot that looks like it presents a land border between France and Romania.
Christoph Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Clergyman Hunting Vampires
Christoph Waltz embodies a clever but beleaguered man of the church pursuing the undead – it feels natural for him to tackle this role before – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the sinister Dracula, brought to life by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent evoking Carell’s Gru character from the Despicable Me comedies. This is a part that he too was born to take on.
The Plot: A Saga of Heartbreak
The story is this: the vampire lord has wandered endlessly the earth in torment for 400 years after his transformation into a vampire, a consequence for his faithless sorrow over the death of his spouse Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). The count has looked tirelessly for a female who would be the reincarnation of his lost love. Unfortunately, the chosen woman proves to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s wimpish land agent, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who has recently been to Dracula’s fortress to discuss his property portfolio and whose miniature portrait of the winsome Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.
The Filmmaker’s Approach and Humorous Style
Besson structures Dracula’s middle-section history of global roaming wearing flamboyant outfits confidently, and he willingly includes offering humorous scenes in the style of Mel Brooks – such as Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to end his own life post-Elisabeta’s demise, as well as farcical scenes that result after Dracula sprays himself with a specific fragrance in historic Florence, which makes him compelling to the opposite sex. Absurd yet engaging.
Dracula can be streamed online from 1 December and for physical purchase starting the twenty-second of December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
