Dracula Review – Besson’s Passionate Reinterpretation of the Gothic Classic is Ridiculous but Watchable
Perhaps audiences aren’t clamoring for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for polished extravagance. And yet, one must admit: his lavishly upholstered love story with vampires displays creativity and style – and amid its theatrical camp, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer over Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, such as a scene that seems to depict a territorial boundary between France and Romania.
Waltz as a Clever but Weary Clergyman Hunting Vampires
Christoph Waltz embodies a witty yet careworn 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 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the malevolent vampire count, enacted by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent similar to the voice of Gru by Steve Carell in the Despicable Me films. This is a part that he too was born to take on.
The Narrative: A Saga of Heartbreak
The story is this: Dracula has been restlessly roaming the globe in sorrow for 400 years since he became undead, a punishment for his irreligious grief following the loss of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). Dracula has been searching, searching, searching for a female who could be the return of his departed beloved. Unfortunately, the chosen woman is revealed as Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s wimpish land agent, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who has recently been to Dracula’s fortress to discuss his real estate holdings and the small picture of the charming Mina drew the vampire’s attention.
Besson’s Handling and Humorous Style
Besson structures Dracula’s flashback sequence of worldwide travels wearing flamboyant outfits confidently, and he doesn’t shy away from giving us humorous scenes reminiscent of Mel Brooks – like Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to end his own life following Elisabeta’s passing, in addition to absurd moments that occur when Dracula sprays himself in a certain perfume during the 1700s in Florence, that renders him compelling to the opposite sex. Ridiculous and watchable.
Dracula can be streamed online starting December 1st and on DVD and Blu-ray from December 22nd. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
