Dracula Review – Besson’s Passionate Reinterpretation of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Outlandish but Entertaining
Maybe interest is limited for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for glossiness and bloat. And yet, it’s worth noting: his opulently crafted love story with vampires boasts bold vision and flair – and amid its theatrical camp, I might just favor compared with Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, including one shot that appears to show a territorial boundary between France and Romania.
Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Vampire-Hunting Priest
Christoph Waltz portrays a clever but beleaguered man of the church pursuing the undead – it’s surprising he never took on such a part earlier – who ends up in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. The same goes for the malevolent vampire count, brought to life by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect reminiscent of Carell’s Gru character in the Despicable Me films. This is a part that he too was born to take on.
The Story: A Tale of Love and Loss
The plot unfolds as follows: the count has wandered endlessly the world in torment for 400 years after his transformation into a vampire, a penalty due to his blasphemous mourning following the loss of his beloved Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). the vampire has looked tirelessly for a female who could be the reincarnation of his lost love. By cruel fate, the lucky lady turns out to be Mina (also Bleu, of course), the reserved future wife of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the vampire’s estate to review his real estate holdings and the tiny painting of the winsome Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.
Besson’s Handling and Comic Flair
Besson organizes Dracula’s flashback sequence of worldwide travels in various outrageous costumes confidently, and he willingly includes providing humorous scenes in the style of Mel Brooks – such as Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to commit suicide following Elisabeta’s passing, in addition to absurd moments that result after Dracula sprays himself using a particular scent in 18th-century Florence, that renders him compelling to the opposite sex. Ridiculous and watchable.
Dracula is available digitally from 1 December and for physical purchase from 22 December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
