Dracula Movie Critique – Besson’s Passionate Revamp of the Gothic Classic is Outlandish but Engaging
It’s possible interest is limited for a new version of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for polished extravagance. However, one must admit: his opulently crafted love story with vampires boasts bold vision and flair – and with its B-movie charm, I might just favor compared with Eggers’s dignified recent take of Nosferatu. There are some very bizarre touches, like a particular moment that looks like it presents a geographic divide between France and Romania.
Waltz as a Clever but Weary Priest Tracking the Undead
Christoph Waltz embodies a clever but beleaguered man of the church pursuing the undead – it’s surprising he never took on such a part earlier – who arrives in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Likewise present is the sinister Dracula, played by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones speaking in a twisted regional dialect evoking the voice of Gru by Steve Carell of the Despicable Me series. This character suits him perfectly.
The Plot: A Saga of Heartbreak
The plot unfolds as follows: the count has traveled ceaselessly the world in sorrow for 400 years since he became undead, a punishment due to his blasphemous mourning over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). The count has sought relentlessly for some woman who could be the rebirth of his lost love. By cruel fate, the chosen woman is revealed as Mina (also Bleu, of course), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s wimpish land agent, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the count’s castle to review his property portfolio and the small picture of the winsome Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.
Besson’s Direction and Lighthearted Touch
Besson structures Dracula’s second-act backstory of international journeys sporting extravagant attire skillfully, and he is not above offering humorous scenes in the style of Mel Brooks – for example Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to commit suicide post-Elisabeta’s demise, along with absurd moments that follow Dracula applies to himself in a certain perfume during the 1700s in Florence, that renders him irresistible to women. Outlandish but entertaining.
Dracula can be streamed online starting December 1st and for physical purchase from December 22nd. It will be shown in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.
