Dracula Movie Critique – Luc Besson’s Passionate Revamp of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Ridiculous but Watchable
It’s possible audiences aren’t clamoring for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for stylish excess. However, one must admit: his opulently crafted love story with vampires displays creativity and style – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer to it to Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, including one shot that appears to show a territorial boundary between France and Romania.
Waltz as a Witty Yet Careworn Clergyman Hunting Vampires
Christoph Waltz embodies a clever but beleaguered man of the church pursuing the undead – it’s surprising he never took on this role before – who ends up in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the malevolent vampire count, brought to life by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect similar to the voice of Gru by Steve Carell from the Despicable Me comedies. This is a part suits him perfectly.
The Story: A Tale of Love and Loss
The story is this: the vampire lord has traveled ceaselessly the earth in torment for hundreds of years since he became undead, a penalty for his faithless sorrow after the passing of his spouse Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). Dracula has been searching, searching, searching for a lady who could be the return of his departed beloved. By cruel fate, the lucky lady 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 just traveled to the vampire’s estate to review his property portfolio and the tiny painting of the winsome Mina drew the vampire’s attention.
Besson’s Handling and Lighthearted Touch
Besson structures Dracula’s flashback sequence of worldwide travels sporting extravagant attire with a sure hand, and he willingly includes offering funny bits reminiscent of Mel Brooks – for example the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to kill himself following Elisabeta’s passing, in addition to comical sequences that result after Dracula douses himself in a certain perfume during the 1700s in Florence, which makes him unavoidably attractive to females. Absurd yet engaging.
Dracula can be streamed online from 1 December and in disc format from December 22nd. It screens in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
