Dracula Review – The French Director’s Passionate Revamp of the Classic Horror Story is Absurd but Entertaining

It’s possible there is no great enthusiasm for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the celebrated French director for glossiness and bloat. Still, one must admit: his richly designed romantic vampire tale boasts bold vision and flair – and amid its theatrical camp, I might just favor over Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, like a particular moment that appears to show a geographic divide between France and Romania.

Christoph Waltz as a Clever but Weary Priest Tracking the Undead

Christoph Waltz plays a clever but beleaguered cleric fighting vampires – I can’t believe he hasn’t played such a part earlier – who finds himself in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. So does the malevolent vampire count, brought to life by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect similar to Steve Carell’s Gru from the Despicable Me comedies. It’s a role suits him perfectly.

The Plot: A Saga of Heartbreak

The story is this: the vampire lord has been restlessly roaming the globe in sorrow for 400 years since he became undead, a penalty due to his blasphemous mourning over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, Rosanna Arquette’s child). The count has been searching, searching, searching for some woman who would be the reincarnation of his deceased partner. Unfortunately, the lucky lady proves to be Mina (portrayed once more by Bleu), the reserved future wife of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (played by Ewens Abid), who lately visited to Dracula’s fortress to review his real estate holdings and the small picture of the charming Mina attracted Dracula’s gaze.

The Filmmaker’s Approach and Lighthearted Touch

Besson structures Dracula’s flashback sequence of global roaming sporting extravagant attire with a sure hand, and he doesn’t shy away from providing some comedy moments reminiscent of Mel Brooks – for example the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to kill himself following Elisabeta’s passing, in addition to comical sequences that occur when Dracula sprays himself with a specific fragrance in historic Florence, which makes him unavoidably attractive to females. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula can be streamed online from 1 December and for physical purchase from December 22nd. It screens in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.