Dracula Movie Critique – Besson’s Romantic Revamp of the Gothic Classic is Absurd but Engaging

It’s possible there is no great enthusiasm for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for glossiness and bloat. However, it’s worth noting: his opulently crafted vampire romance displays creativity and style – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, I might just favor over Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, including one shot that seems to depict a land border between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz embodies a clever but beleaguered man of the church pursuing the undead – I can’t believe he hasn’t played this role before – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. The same goes for the evil Count Dracula, brought to life by the expert in grotesque roles Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect reminiscent of the voice of Gru by Steve Carell from the Despicable Me comedies. This is a part suits him perfectly.

The Story: A Chronicle of Longing

The plot unfolds as follows: Dracula has been restlessly roaming the globe in torment over four centuries after his transformation into a vampire, a punishment for his faithless sorrow following the loss of his spouse Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has sought relentlessly for a female who could be the return of his lost love. As ill fortune would have it, the lucky lady proves to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the demure fiancee of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the count’s castle to negotiate his land assets and the small picture of the lovely Mina drew the vampire’s attention.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Lighthearted Touch

Besson organizes Dracula’s middle-section history of worldwide travels in various outrageous costumes skillfully, and he willingly includes giving us some comedy moments with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – for example Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to kill himself post-Elisabeta’s demise, in addition to absurd moments that result after Dracula sprays himself using a particular scent during the 1700s in Florence, which causes him to be irresistible to women. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula can be streamed online from 1 December and on DVD and Blu-ray from 22 December. It screens in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.