Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Love-Struck Reinterpretation of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Absurd but Watchable

It’s possible there is no great enthusiasm for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for polished extravagance. And yet, one must admit: his lavishly upholstered vampire romance displays creativity and style – and amid its theatrical camp, it could be preferable over Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, like a particular moment that looks like it presents a land border between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Witty Yet Careworn Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz embodies a clever but beleaguered vampire-hunting priest – it feels natural for him to tackle this role before – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the sinister Dracula, enacted by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent similar to Carell’s Gru character from the Despicable Me comedies. It’s a role he seemed destined to play.

The Story: A Tale of Love and Loss

Here’s the premise: Dracula has traveled ceaselessly the world in sorrow for hundreds of years after his transformation into a vampire, a punishment due to his blasphemous mourning over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). Dracula has been searching, searching, searching for some woman who might be the reincarnation of his deceased partner. By cruel fate, the fortunate female proves to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to the vampire’s estate to discuss his property portfolio and the tiny painting of the winsome Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.

Besson’s Direction and Lighthearted Touch

Besson arranges Dracula’s second-act backstory of international journeys in various outrageous costumes confidently, and he doesn’t shy away from giving us humorous scenes with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – like the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to kill himself after Elisabeta’s death, as well as farcical scenes that occur when Dracula applies to himself in a certain perfume in 18th-century Florence, which causes him to be unavoidably attractive to females. Ridiculous and watchable.

Dracula is on digital platforms from 1 December and in disc format from 22 December. It plays in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.