Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Romantic Reimagining of the Classic Horror Story is Absurd but Entertaining

It’s possible there is no great enthusiasm for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for polished extravagance. And yet, one must admit: his opulently crafted romantic vampire tale displays creativity and style – 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, including one shot that appears to show a geographic divide between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Clever but Weary Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz portrays a clever but beleaguered vampire-hunting priest – I can’t believe he hasn’t played this character previously – who arrives in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. So does the sinister Dracula, enacted by the expert in grotesque roles Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect evoking Carell’s Gru character in the Despicable Me films. This character he seemed destined to play.

The Plot: A Tale of Love and Loss

Here’s the premise: the vampire lord has wandered endlessly the earth in torment for hundreds of years following his rise as one of the undead, a penalty for his irreligious grief following the loss of his wife, Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). The count has been searching, searching, searching for a female who might be the rebirth of his lost love. Unfortunately, the lucky lady turns out to be Mina (also Bleu, of course), the reserved future wife of Dracula’s wimpish land agent, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the vampire’s estate to negotiate his property portfolio and the small picture of the lovely Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Humorous Style

Besson organizes Dracula’s flashback sequence of international journeys in various outrageous costumes skillfully, and he is not above giving us funny bits reminiscent of Mel Brooks – for example the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to commit suicide post-Elisabeta’s demise, in addition to comical sequences that follow Dracula applies to himself in a certain perfume in historic Florence, which causes him to be irresistible to women. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula is on digital platforms from 1 December and on DVD and Blu-ray starting the twenty-second of December. It plays in Australian cinemas beginning on the fifth of February, 2026.