Dracula Review – Besson’s Passionate Reimagining of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Absurd but Watchable

It’s possible interest is limited for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for stylish excess. Still, it’s worth noting: his richly designed love story with vampires has ambition and panache – and with its B-movie charm, I might just favor compared with the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, like a particular moment that seems to depict a territorial boundary between France and Romania.

Christoph Waltz as a Clever but Weary Vampire-Hunting Priest

Christoph Waltz portrays a clever but beleaguered cleric fighting vampires – it’s surprising he never took on this character previously – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. So does the malevolent vampire count, played by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect similar to Steve Carell’s Gru of the Despicable Me series. This character that he too was born to take on.

The Narrative: A Saga of Heartbreak

The plot unfolds as follows: the count has been restlessly roaming the world in anguish over four centuries since he became undead, a consequence due to his blasphemous mourning after the passing of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has sought relentlessly for a lady who could be the return of his deceased partner. By cruel fate, the chosen woman turns out to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the reserved future wife of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the count’s castle to review his property portfolio and the tiny painting of the charming Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Humorous Style

Besson structures Dracula’s flashback sequence of international journeys in various outrageous costumes skillfully, and he willingly includes offering some comedy moments reminiscent of Mel Brooks – such as the count’s repeated and futile attempts to commit suicide following Elisabeta’s passing, in addition to absurd moments that result after Dracula sprays himself using a particular scent in historic Florence, which causes him to be unavoidably attractive to females. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula is available digitally starting December 1st and for physical purchase from December 22nd. It plays in Australian cinemas beginning on the fifth of February, 2026.