Dracula Movie Critique – The French Director’s Romantic Revamp of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Absurd but Entertaining
Perhaps interest is limited for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for glossiness and bloat. And yet, one must admit: his opulently crafted romantic vampire tale has ambition and panache – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer compared with Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, like a particular moment that looks like it presents a territorial boundary between France and Romania.
Christoph Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Priest Tracking the Undead
Christoph Waltz embodies a humorous yet burdened cleric fighting vampires – it’s surprising he never took on this character previously – who ends up in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. So does the sinister Dracula, enacted by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone similar to Carell’s Gru character from the Despicable Me comedies. This character suits him perfectly.
The Story: A Saga of Heartbreak
The story is this: Dracula has traveled ceaselessly the earth in anguish for hundreds of years since he became undead, a penalty for his irreligious grief over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). The count has looked tirelessly for some woman who would be the rebirth of his departed beloved. By cruel fate, the lucky lady turns out to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the modest betrothed of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the count’s castle to discuss his real estate holdings and the tiny painting of the charming Mina drew the vampire’s attention.
Besson’s Handling and Humorous Style
Besson organizes Dracula’s middle-section history of international journeys sporting extravagant attire confidently, and he is not above offering funny bits reminiscent of Mel Brooks – like Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to end his own life after Elisabeta’s death, as well as absurd moments that result after Dracula douses himself using a particular scent in 18th-century Florence, which makes him unavoidably attractive to females. Absurd yet engaging.
Dracula is on digital platforms starting December 1st and for physical purchase from 22 December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
