Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Romantic Reinterpretation of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Outlandish but Entertaining
It’s possible there is no great enthusiasm for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for glossiness and bloat. Still, it’s worth noting: his lavishly upholstered love story with vampires displays creativity and style – and amid its theatrical camp, it could be preferable over Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, like a particular moment that looks like it presents a geographic divide between France and Romania.
Christoph Waltz as a Witty Yet Careworn Priest Tracking the Undead
Christoph Waltz plays a humorous yet burdened cleric fighting vampires – it feels natural for him to tackle such a part earlier – who arrives in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. So does the sinister Dracula, enacted by the expert in grotesque roles Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone reminiscent of the voice of Gru by Steve Carell from the Despicable Me comedies. This is a part he seemed destined to play.
The Story: A Saga of Heartbreak
The story is this: Dracula has wandered endlessly the earth in torment for 400 years since he became undead, a penalty for his faithless sorrow over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has sought relentlessly for a lady who might be the return of his deceased partner. By cruel fate, the fortunate female is revealed as Mina (again played by Bleu), the modest betrothed of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the vampire’s estate to negotiate his land assets and the small picture of the winsome Mina drew the vampire’s attention.
Besson’s Direction and Lighthearted Touch
Besson structures Dracula’s second-act backstory of international journeys wearing flamboyant outfits with a sure hand, and he willingly includes providing humorous scenes with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – such as the count’s repeated and futile attempts to kill himself after Elisabeta’s death, in addition to comical sequences that occur when Dracula sprays himself using a particular scent in 18th-century Florence, which causes him to be irresistible to women. Outlandish but entertaining.
Dracula is on digital platforms beginning on the first of December and on DVD and Blu-ray from December 22nd. It will be shown in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.
