Dracula Movie Critique – Besson’s Passionate Reimagining of the Classic Horror Story is Outlandish but Watchable

Perhaps there is no great enthusiasm for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for stylish excess. Still, it’s worth noting: his opulently crafted romantic vampire tale boasts bold vision and flair – and amid its theatrical camp, I might just favor compared with Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, such as a scene that seems to depict a land border between France and Romania.

Christoph Waltz as a Humorously Exhausted Priest Tracking the Undead

Christoph Waltz portrays a clever but beleaguered vampire-hunting priest – it’s surprising he never took on this character previously – who arrives in Paris in 1889 during the centennial of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the malevolent vampire count, brought to life by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone reminiscent of Carell’s Gru character of the Despicable Me series. It’s a role he seemed destined to play.

The Story: A Saga of Heartbreak

The plot unfolds as follows: Dracula has wandered endlessly the earth in sorrow for 400 years since he became undead, a punishment for his irreligious grief after the passing of his beloved Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). Dracula has looked tirelessly for some woman who would be the return of his lost love. By cruel fate, the chosen woman turns out to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the reserved future wife of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who has recently been to Dracula’s fortress to review his property portfolio and whose miniature portrait of the charming Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Comic Flair

Besson organizes Dracula’s second-act backstory of international journeys sporting extravagant attire confidently, and he willingly includes providing some comedy moments with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – for example the count’s repeated and futile attempts to commit suicide following Elisabeta’s passing, in addition to farcical scenes that follow Dracula applies to himself using a particular scent in 18th-century Florence, which causes him to be irresistible to women. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula is available digitally from 1 December and for physical purchase starting the twenty-second of December. It screens in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.