Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Passionate Revamp of the Gothic Classic is Outlandish but Watchable

Perhaps audiences aren’t clamoring for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for glossiness and bloat. However, it has to be said: his lavishly upholstered romantic vampire tale displays creativity and style – and with its B-movie charm, it could be preferable over the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, like a particular moment that seems to depict a land border between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Priest Tracking the Undead

Christoph Waltz embodies a clever but beleaguered man of the church pursuing the undead – it’s surprising he never took on this role before – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. The same goes for the malevolent vampire count, played by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone reminiscent of Steve Carell’s Gru from the Despicable Me comedies. This is a part suits him perfectly.

The Story: A Saga of Heartbreak

Here’s the premise: the vampire lord has been restlessly roaming the earth in torment for hundreds of years following his rise as one of the undead, a consequence for his irreligious grief following the loss of his beloved Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). the vampire has sought relentlessly for some woman who might be the return of his departed beloved. As ill fortune would have it, the chosen woman is revealed as Mina (again played by Bleu), the demure fiancee of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to Dracula’s fortress to negotiate his land assets and the small picture of the lovely Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.

Besson’s Handling and Lighthearted Touch

Besson arranges Dracula’s flashback sequence of global roaming in various outrageous costumes with a sure hand, and he willingly includes giving us funny bits reminiscent of Mel Brooks – like the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to end his own life following Elisabeta’s passing, as well as absurd moments that follow Dracula douses himself with a specific fragrance during the 1700s in Florence, which causes him to be unavoidably attractive to females. Outlandish but entertaining.

Dracula is available digitally beginning on the first of December and for physical purchase from 22 December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.