Dracula Review – Besson’s Passionate Reinterpretation of the Gothic Classic is Ridiculous but Engaging

Perhaps interest is limited for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for stylish excess. Still, it’s worth noting: his lavishly upholstered vampire romance displays creativity and style – and with its B-movie charm, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer to it to Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, such as a scene that appears to show a geographic divide between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Witty Yet Careworn Priest Tracking the Undead

Christoph Waltz embodies a witty yet careworn man of the church pursuing the undead – I can’t believe he hasn’t played such a part earlier – who arrives in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the malevolent vampire count, played by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone similar to Carell’s Gru character in the Despicable Me films. It’s a role suits him perfectly.

The Plot: A Saga of Heartbreak

The plot unfolds as follows: Dracula has been restlessly roaming the world in torment for hundreds of years since he became undead, a consequence for his faithless sorrow over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). the vampire has been searching, searching, searching for a lady who might be the reincarnation of his lost love. By cruel fate, the fortunate female turns out to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the demure fiancee of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to the count’s castle to negotiate his real estate holdings and the small picture of the lovely Mina drew the vampire’s attention.

Besson’s Handling and Comic Flair

Besson arranges Dracula’s flashback sequence of worldwide travels sporting extravagant attire confidently, and he doesn’t shy away from offering humorous scenes reminiscent of Mel Brooks – such as the count’s repeated and futile attempts to end his own life after Elisabeta’s death, as well as comical sequences that occur when Dracula applies to himself using a particular scent in historic Florence, that renders him compelling to the opposite sex. Outlandish but entertaining.

Dracula is available digitally starting December 1st and for physical purchase from December 22nd. It screens in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.