Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Love-Struck Reimagining of the Classic Horror Story is Absurd but Engaging
Perhaps audiences aren’t clamoring for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for polished extravagance. Still, it’s worth noting: his lavishly upholstered love story with vampires displays creativity and style – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer compared with 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 land border between France and Romania.
The Veteran Actor as a Witty Yet Careworn Clergyman Hunting Vampires
Christoph Waltz portrays a witty yet careworn vampire-hunting priest – it’s surprising he never took on this role before – who ends up in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. So does the malevolent vampire count, played by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent reminiscent of Carell’s Gru character in the Despicable Me films. This character he seemed destined to play.
The Story: A Tale of Love and Loss
Here’s the premise: the vampire lord has wandered endlessly the globe in sorrow for 400 years since he became undead, a punishment due to his blasphemous mourning following the loss of his spouse Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has looked tirelessly for a lady who would be the rebirth of his deceased partner. As ill fortune would have it, the chosen woman proves to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s wimpish land agent, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the count’s castle to review his property portfolio and the small picture of the winsome Mina drew the vampire’s attention.
The Filmmaker’s Approach and Humorous Style
Besson arranges Dracula’s second-act backstory of worldwide travels sporting extravagant attire with a sure hand, and he doesn’t shy away from giving us some comedy moments in the style of Mel Brooks – such as the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to kill himself following Elisabeta’s passing, as well as farcical scenes that result after Dracula douses himself with a specific fragrance during the 1700s in Florence, that renders him irresistible to women. Absurd yet engaging.
Dracula can be streamed online from 1 December and for physical purchase from 22 December. It plays in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.