Dracula Review – The French Director’s Passionate Reimagining of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Ridiculous but Watchable

Maybe audiences aren’t clamoring for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for polished extravagance. And yet, it’s worth noting: his richly designed vampire romance has ambition and panache – and in all its Hammer-y cheesiness, I might just favor over Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, such as a scene that looks like it presents a geographic divide between France and Romania.

Christoph Waltz as a Witty Yet Careworn Vampire-Hunting Priest

Christoph Waltz embodies a humorous yet burdened man of the church pursuing the undead – it feels natural for him to tackle this role before – who arrives in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. The same goes for the sinister Dracula, brought to life by the expert in grotesque roles Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect evoking the voice of Gru by Steve Carell of the Despicable Me series. This is a part suits him perfectly.

The Story: A Tale of Love and Loss

The story is this: the count has been restlessly roaming the world 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 first film part for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). the vampire has looked tirelessly for a female who could be the return of his lost love. Unfortunately, the chosen woman proves to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the count’s castle to discuss his real estate holdings and the small picture of the charming Mina drew the vampire’s attention.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Lighthearted Touch

Besson organizes Dracula’s second-act backstory of worldwide travels wearing flamboyant outfits confidently, and he is not above offering funny bits reminiscent of Mel Brooks – such as Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to kill himself following Elisabeta’s passing, as well as absurd moments that follow Dracula applies to himself using a particular scent during the 1700s in Florence, that renders him unavoidably attractive to females. Outlandish but entertaining.

Dracula is available digitally from 1 December and in disc format from December 22nd. It plays in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.