Dracula Movie Critique – Luc Besson’s Love-Struck Revamp of the Gothic Classic is Ridiculous but Engaging

Perhaps interest is limited for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for glossiness and bloat. However, one must admit: his opulently crafted love story with vampires displays creativity and style – and with its B-movie charm, I might just favor over Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, including one shot that looks like it presents a geographic divide between France and Romania.

Waltz as a Clever but Weary Vampire-Hunting Priest

Christoph Waltz plays a clever but beleaguered vampire-hunting priest – it’s surprising he never took on such a part earlier – who arrives in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the sinister Dracula, brought to life by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect similar to Carell’s Gru character of the Despicable Me series. This character suits him perfectly.

The Narrative: A Tale of Love and Loss

The story is this: the vampire lord has wandered endlessly the earth in anguish for hundreds of years after his transformation into a vampire, a punishment for his faithless sorrow after the passing of his spouse Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). the vampire has looked tirelessly for some woman who might be the rebirth of his lost love. Unfortunately, the lucky lady is revealed as Mina (also Bleu, of course), the modest betrothed of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to Dracula’s fortress to review his land assets and the tiny painting of the winsome Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Comic Flair

Besson organizes Dracula’s middle-section history of international journeys wearing flamboyant outfits confidently, and he doesn’t shy away from providing funny bits reminiscent of Mel Brooks – for example Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to kill himself after Elisabeta’s death, along with absurd moments that follow Dracula sprays himself using a particular scent during the 1700s in Florence, which makes him irresistible to women. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula is on digital platforms from 1 December and for physical purchase from 22 December. It will be shown in Australian cinemas beginning on the fifth of February, 2026.