Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Love-Struck Reimagining of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Outlandish but Engaging

It’s possible interest is limited for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for glossiness and bloat. However, it’s worth noting: his richly designed love story with vampires boasts bold vision and flair – and with its B-movie charm, it could be preferable to it to Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, including one shot that seems to depict a geographic divide between France and Romania.

The Veteran Actor as a Witty Yet Careworn Vampire-Hunting Priest

Christoph Waltz embodies a humorous yet burdened man of the church pursuing the undead – it’s surprising he never took on such a part earlier – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. Likewise present is the evil Count Dracula, brought to life by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent reminiscent of Carell’s Gru character in the Despicable Me films. This character suits him perfectly.

The Story: A Tale of Love and Loss

The plot unfolds as follows: the count has wandered endlessly the globe in anguish for 400 years following his rise as one of the undead, a punishment for his irreligious grief over the death of his beloved Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). The count has sought relentlessly for a female who could be the return of his lost love. By cruel fate, the chosen woman proves to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the vampire’s estate to review his land assets and whose miniature portrait of the lovely Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.

Besson’s Handling and Humorous Style

Besson organizes Dracula’s second-act backstory of international journeys in various outrageous costumes skillfully, and he willingly includes providing humorous scenes reminiscent of Mel Brooks – such as the count’s repeated and futile attempts to kill himself after Elisabeta’s death, in addition to farcical scenes that result after Dracula sprays himself using a particular scent in 18th-century Florence, that renders him unavoidably attractive to females. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula is on digital platforms starting December 1st and for physical purchase starting the twenty-second of December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.