Dracula Movie Critique – The French Director’s Romantic Revamp of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Ridiculous but Watchable
Maybe interest is limited for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for glossiness and bloat. However, it’s worth noting: his lavishly upholstered romantic vampire tale boasts bold vision and flair – and with its B-movie charm, I might just favor over Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, including one shot that seems to depict a land border between France and Romania.
Christoph Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Priest Tracking the Undead
Christoph Waltz portrays a clever but beleaguered cleric fighting vampires – I can’t believe he hasn’t played 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 evoking Steve Carell’s Gru of the Despicable Me series. This is a part suits him perfectly.
The Narrative: A Saga of Heartbreak
The plot unfolds as follows: Dracula has traveled ceaselessly the world in torment for 400 years since he became undead, a consequence for his faithless sorrow over the death of his beloved Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has sought relentlessly for a lady who might be the return of his departed beloved. Unfortunately, the lucky lady turns out to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the demure fiancee of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the count’s castle to negotiate his land assets and the tiny painting of the lovely Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.
Besson’s Direction and Lighthearted Touch
Besson structures Dracula’s second-act backstory of international journeys wearing flamboyant outfits skillfully, and he is not above providing funny bits in the style of Mel Brooks – such as the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to commit suicide following Elisabeta’s passing, as well as farcical scenes that occur when Dracula sprays himself using a particular scent during the 1700s in Florence, that renders him irresistible to women. Outlandish but entertaining.
Dracula is available digitally starting December 1st and on DVD and Blu-ray starting the twenty-second of December. It screens in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
