Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Romantic Reinterpretation of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Absurd but Engaging

Maybe there is no great enthusiasm for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for stylish excess. Still, it has to be said: his opulently crafted love story with vampires displays creativity and style – and amid its theatrical camp, it could be preferable to it to Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, like a particular moment that seems to depict a geographic divide between France and Romania.

Christoph Waltz as a Clever but Weary Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz embodies a witty yet careworn cleric fighting vampires – 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. So does the malevolent vampire count, played by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone reminiscent of Carell’s Gru character in the Despicable Me films. It’s a role suits him perfectly.

The Plot: A Tale of Love and Loss

Here’s the premise: the vampire lord has been restlessly roaming the earth in anguish over four centuries following his rise as one of the undead, a consequence for his irreligious grief over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). The count has looked tirelessly for a lady who would be the reincarnation of his departed beloved. Unfortunately, the lucky lady turns out to be Mina (also Bleu, of course), the reserved future wife of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the count’s castle to discuss his property portfolio and the small picture of the winsome Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.

Besson’s Handling and Comic Flair

Besson structures Dracula’s flashback sequence of global roaming in various outrageous costumes skillfully, and he doesn’t shy away from giving us humorous scenes in the style of Mel Brooks – like Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to commit suicide after Elisabeta’s death, along with absurd moments that occur when Dracula douses himself with a specific fragrance in historic Florence, that renders him unavoidably attractive to females. Outlandish but entertaining.

Dracula is available digitally from 1 December and in disc format from December 22nd. It will be shown in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.