Dracula Movie Critique – The French Director’s Love-Struck Reinterpretation of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Ridiculous but Watchable

Perhaps there is no great enthusiasm for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for glossiness and bloat. Still, it has to be said: his opulently crafted romantic vampire tale boasts bold vision and flair – and with its B-movie charm, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer over Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, like a particular moment that looks like it presents a territorial boundary between France and Romania.

The Veteran Actor as a Humorously Exhausted Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz embodies a clever but beleaguered man of the church pursuing the undead – it feels natural for him to tackle such a part earlier – 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 body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent reminiscent of Steve Carell’s Gru of the Despicable Me series. This is a part suits him perfectly.

The Plot: A Saga of Heartbreak

The plot unfolds as follows: the count has been restlessly roaming the globe in torment for 400 years following his rise as one of the undead, a penalty for his faithless sorrow following the loss of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has looked tirelessly for a lady who might be the reincarnation of his lost love. By cruel fate, the lucky lady turns out to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the modest betrothed of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the count’s castle to discuss his land assets and the small picture of the winsome Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.

Besson’s Handling and Humorous Style

Besson structures Dracula’s middle-section history of worldwide travels sporting extravagant attire confidently, and he is not above offering humorous scenes reminiscent of Mel Brooks – for example the count’s repeated and futile attempts to end his own life post-Elisabeta’s demise, in addition to absurd moments that follow Dracula applies to himself using a particular scent in historic Florence, which causes him to be compelling to the opposite sex. Ridiculous and watchable.

Dracula is available digitally starting December 1st and in disc format starting the twenty-second of December. It screens in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.