Dracula Movie Critique – Besson’s Romantic Revamp of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Outlandish but Engaging

Perhaps audiences aren’t clamoring for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for polished extravagance. Still, it’s worth noting: his lavishly upholstered romantic vampire tale boasts bold vision and flair – and amid its theatrical camp, 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 seems to depict a geographic divide between France and Romania.

Christoph Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz embodies a humorous yet burdened cleric fighting vampires – it feels natural for him to tackle such a part earlier – who ends up in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. So does the sinister Dracula, played by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect similar to Steve Carell’s Gru from the Despicable Me comedies. This is a part suits him perfectly.

The Story: A Saga of Heartbreak

The plot unfolds as follows: the count has wandered endlessly the earth in anguish for 400 years since he became undead, a punishment due to his blasphemous mourning following the loss of his beloved Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). The count has been searching, searching, searching for a lady who would be the rebirth of his departed beloved. As ill fortune would have it, the lucky lady turns out to be Mina (also Bleu, of course), the reserved future wife of Dracula’s wimpish land agent, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who just traveled to Dracula’s fortress to review his real estate holdings and the small picture of the charming Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Humorous Style

Besson organizes Dracula’s second-act backstory of worldwide travels sporting extravagant attire skillfully, and he willingly includes giving us funny bits with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – for example the count’s repeated and futile attempts to kill himself following Elisabeta’s passing, as well as farcical scenes that follow Dracula sprays himself using a particular scent in historic Florence, which causes him to be irresistible to women. Outlandish but entertaining.

Dracula is on digital platforms from 1 December and on DVD and Blu-ray starting the twenty-second of December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.