Dracula Movie Critique – Luc Besson’s Passionate Reinterpretation of the Classic Horror Story is Ridiculous but Engaging

Maybe audiences aren’t clamoring for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for glossiness and bloat. And yet, one must admit: 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. There are some very bizarre touches, such as a scene that seems to depict a land border between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Clever but Weary Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz plays a witty yet careworn man of the church pursuing the undead – I can’t believe he hasn’t played this character previously – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. The same goes for the sinister Dracula, brought to life by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone reminiscent of Carell’s Gru character in the Despicable Me films. This character suits him perfectly.

The Story: A Chronicle of Longing

The plot unfolds as follows: the vampire lord has been restlessly roaming the earth in sorrow over four centuries since he became undead, a penalty due to his blasphemous mourning following the loss of his wife, Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). The count has been searching, searching, searching for a lady who might be the reincarnation of his deceased partner. By cruel fate, the lucky lady turns out to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the demure fiancee of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to the vampire’s estate to negotiate his real estate holdings and the tiny painting of the lovely Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.

Besson’s Handling and Humorous Style

Besson organizes Dracula’s flashback sequence of worldwide travels in various outrageous costumes skillfully, and he is not above offering funny bits with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – such as the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to kill himself post-Elisabeta’s demise, as well as farcical scenes that result after Dracula sprays himself using a particular scent during the 1700s in Florence, which causes him to be compelling to the opposite sex. Outlandish but entertaining.

Dracula is available digitally starting December 1st and in disc format starting the twenty-second of December. It screens in Australian cinemas beginning on the fifth of February, 2026.