Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Romantic Reimagining of the Classic Horror Story is Outlandish but Engaging
It’s possible interest is limited for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for polished extravagance. And yet, one must admit: his lavishly upholstered vampire romance has ambition and panache – and amid its theatrical camp, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer compared with the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, such as a scene that seems to depict a land border between France and Romania.
Christoph Waltz as a Clever but Weary Clergyman Hunting Vampires
Christoph Waltz portrays a witty yet careworn man of the church pursuing the undead – it’s surprising he never took on this character previously – who arrives in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. The same goes for the malevolent vampire count, played by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect evoking Steve Carell’s Gru of the Despicable Me series. This character suits him perfectly.
The Narrative: A Tale of Love and Loss
The story is this: the count has wandered endlessly the globe in torment over four centuries after his transformation into a vampire, a punishment for his faithless sorrow over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has looked tirelessly for some woman who could be the rebirth of his deceased partner. As ill fortune would have it, the fortunate female proves to be Mina (also Bleu, of course), the reserved future wife of Dracula’s wimpish land agent, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to Dracula’s fortress to negotiate his property portfolio and the small picture of the lovely Mina drew the vampire’s attention.
Besson’s Handling and Lighthearted Touch
Besson organizes Dracula’s middle-section history of worldwide travels wearing flamboyant outfits skillfully, and he doesn’t shy away from providing some comedy moments reminiscent of Mel Brooks – for example the count’s repeated and futile attempts to kill himself post-Elisabeta’s demise, as well as absurd moments that occur when Dracula sprays himself with a specific fragrance in 18th-century Florence, which causes him to be unavoidably attractive to females. Outlandish but entertaining.
Dracula is on digital platforms beginning on the first of December and for physical purchase starting the twenty-second of December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
