Dracula Review – The French Director’s Passionate Reimagining of the Gothic Classic is Ridiculous but Watchable

It’s possible there is no great enthusiasm for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for glossiness and bloat. However, it has to be said: his opulently crafted vampire romance displays creativity and style – and with its B-movie charm, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer over Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, such as a scene that appears to show a territorial boundary between France and Romania.

Christoph Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Priest Tracking the Undead

Christoph Waltz portrays a witty yet careworn man of the church pursuing the undead – I can’t believe he hasn’t played such a part earlier – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. So does the evil Count Dracula, played by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone reminiscent of Steve Carell’s Gru of the Despicable Me series. This character suits him perfectly.

The Narrative: A Tale of Love and Loss

Here’s the premise: Dracula has been restlessly roaming the globe in torment for 400 years since he became undead, a consequence for his irreligious grief following the loss of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). The count has been searching, searching, searching for some woman who could be the return of his lost love. Unfortunately, the chosen woman turns out to be Mina (also Bleu, of course), the reserved future wife of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to the vampire’s estate to review his property portfolio and the small picture of the charming Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Humorous Style

Besson organizes Dracula’s flashback sequence of worldwide travels in various outrageous costumes confidently, and he willingly includes providing funny bits in the style of Mel Brooks – for example Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to commit suicide post-Elisabeta’s demise, along with farcical scenes that occur when Dracula douses himself using a particular scent during the 1700s in Florence, which makes him compelling to the opposite sex. Outlandish but entertaining.

Dracula is on digital platforms from 1 December and for physical purchase from December 22nd. It plays in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.