Dracula Review – Besson’s Romantic Reimagining of the Gothic Classic is Ridiculous but Watchable
Perhaps there is no great enthusiasm for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for polished extravagance. However, it’s worth noting: his richly designed romantic vampire tale 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. Odd details emerge, like a particular moment that seems to depict a geographic divide between France and Romania.
Waltz as a Clever but Weary Priest Tracking the Undead
Christoph Waltz embodies a witty yet careworn vampire-hunting priest – 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. The same goes for the sinister Dracula, brought to life by the expert in grotesque roles Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone similar to Carell’s Gru character in the Despicable Me films. This character suits him perfectly.
The Story: A Saga of Heartbreak
The plot unfolds as follows: Dracula has wandered endlessly the globe in anguish for hundreds of years after his transformation into a vampire, a consequence for his irreligious grief after the passing of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). The count has sought relentlessly for a lady who would be the reincarnation of his deceased partner. Unfortunately, the lucky lady proves to be Mina (also Bleu, of course), the modest betrothed of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who lately visited to the vampire’s estate to review his land assets and the tiny painting of the charming Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.
Besson’s Handling and Comic Flair
Besson organizes Dracula’s flashback sequence of worldwide travels in various outrageous costumes skillfully, and he willingly includes giving us funny bits reminiscent of Mel Brooks – for example Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to kill himself post-Elisabeta’s demise, as well as farcical scenes that follow Dracula applies to himself with a specific fragrance during the 1700s in Florence, that renders him irresistible to women. Absurd yet engaging.
Dracula can be streamed online from 1 December and for physical purchase from 22 December. It plays in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
