Dracula Movie Critique – Luc Besson’s Romantic Reinterpretation of the Gothic Classic is Absurd but Watchable
It’s possible interest is limited for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known 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 compared with Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, such as a scene that looks like it presents a geographic divide between France and Romania.
The Veteran Actor as a Clever but Weary Clergyman Hunting Vampires
Christoph Waltz portrays a witty yet careworn man of the church pursuing the undead – it feels natural for him to tackle this character previously – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the evil Count Dracula, brought to life by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect similar to Steve Carell’s Gru in the Despicable Me films. This is a part suits him perfectly.
The Story: A Saga of Heartbreak
Here’s the premise: the count has wandered endlessly the globe in anguish for 400 years following his rise as one of the undead, a penalty for his faithless sorrow following the loss of his wife, Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). The count has sought relentlessly for a female who would be the rebirth of his deceased partner. Unfortunately, the fortunate female proves to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the reserved future wife of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the count’s castle to review his property portfolio and the small picture of the lovely Mina drew the vampire’s attention.
The Filmmaker’s Approach and Comic Flair
Besson structures Dracula’s second-act backstory of international journeys wearing flamboyant outfits confidently, and he is not above offering some comedy moments reminiscent of Mel Brooks – like the count’s repeated and futile attempts to end his own life following Elisabeta’s passing, in addition to comical sequences that follow Dracula applies to himself using a particular scent in 18th-century Florence, that renders him unavoidably attractive to females. Ridiculous and watchable.
Dracula can be streamed online starting December 1st and in disc format from December 22nd. It plays in Australian cinemas beginning on the fifth of February, 2026.
