Dracula Movie Critique – The French Director’s Romantic Reimagining of the Gothic Classic is Absurd but Watchable
Perhaps there is no great enthusiasm for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for stylish excess. However, it’s worth noting: his opulently crafted vampire romance boasts bold vision and flair – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, it could be preferable to it to Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, like a particular moment that seems to depict a land border between France and Romania.
The Veteran Actor as a Witty Yet Careworn Vampire-Hunting Priest
Christoph Waltz portrays a witty yet careworn man of the church pursuing the undead – it’s surprising he never took on this character previously – who ends up in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. So does the malevolent vampire count, played by the expert in grotesque roles Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect evoking Steve Carell’s Gru from the Despicable Me comedies. This is a part that he too was born to take on.
The Plot: A Saga of Heartbreak
The plot unfolds as follows: the vampire lord has traveled ceaselessly the earth in sorrow for hundreds of years since he became undead, a consequence due to his blasphemous mourning over the death of his beloved Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has been searching, searching, searching for a female who might be the return of his lost love. Unfortunately, the chosen woman proves to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the count’s castle to discuss his property portfolio and whose miniature portrait of the winsome Mina drew the vampire’s attention.
Besson’s Handling and Lighthearted Touch
Besson organizes Dracula’s second-act backstory of worldwide travels in various outrageous costumes confidently, and he doesn’t shy away from providing humorous scenes reminiscent of Mel Brooks – such as Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to kill himself following Elisabeta’s passing, in addition to comical sequences that result after Dracula applies to himself using a particular scent in historic Florence, which causes him to be irresistible to women. Absurd yet engaging.
Dracula is on digital platforms starting December 1st and in disc format from 22 December. It plays in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.
