Dracula Movie Critique – Besson’s Love-Struck Reimagining of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Absurd but Watchable
Perhaps there is no great enthusiasm for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for polished extravagance. Still, it’s worth noting: his lavishly upholstered romantic vampire tale boasts bold vision and flair – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, it could be preferable to it to the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, such as a scene that seems to depict a territorial boundary between France and Romania.
Waltz as a Witty Yet Careworn Vampire-Hunting Priest
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 arrives in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. So does the malevolent vampire count, brought to life by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent evoking Carell’s Gru character of the Despicable Me series. It’s a role he seemed destined to play.
The Plot: A Chronicle of Longing
The plot unfolds as follows: the count has wandered endlessly the earth in torment over four centuries following his rise as one of the undead, a punishment for his irreligious grief following the loss of his wife, Elisabeta (a movie debut role for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). The count has sought relentlessly for a female who could be the return of his deceased partner. As ill fortune would have it, the chosen woman proves to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s wimpish land agent, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the vampire’s estate to review his property portfolio and the small picture of the lovely Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.
Besson’s Direction and Lighthearted Touch
Besson structures Dracula’s middle-section history of global roaming in various outrageous costumes skillfully, and he is not above giving us funny bits with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – for example the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to commit suicide post-Elisabeta’s demise, along with farcical scenes that result after Dracula sprays himself with a specific fragrance in historic Florence, which makes him irresistible to women. Outlandish but entertaining.
Dracula can be streamed online from 1 December and for physical purchase from December 22nd. It screens in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.