Dracula Review – Luc Besson’s Love-Struck Revamp of the Classic Horror Story is Outlandish but Entertaining

It’s possible interest is limited for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the filmmaker known for glossiness and bloat. And yet, it’s worth noting: his richly designed vampire romance boasts bold vision and flair – and with its B-movie charm, I’m not sure I wouldn’t prefer compared with the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. A few strange elements appear, such as a scene that appears to show a land border between France and Romania.

The Veteran Actor as a Witty Yet Careworn Priest Tracking the Undead

Christoph Waltz plays 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. So does the evil Count Dracula, enacted by the body-horror veteran Caleb Landry Jones using a distorted Eastern European tone similar to the voice of Gru by Steve Carell of the Despicable Me series. It’s a role suits him perfectly.

The Story: A Tale of Love and Loss

The story is this: Dracula has been restlessly roaming the globe in sorrow for 400 years following his rise as one of the undead, a penalty for his faithless sorrow over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (an inaugural screen appearance for Zoë Bleu, the offspring of Rosanna Arquette). the vampire has looked tirelessly for a lady who could be the rebirth of his lost love. As ill fortune would have it, the lucky lady proves to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the demure fiancee of Dracula’s feeble property handler, Jonathan Harker (enacted by Ewens Abid), who just traveled to the vampire’s estate to negotiate his real estate holdings and the small picture of the charming Mina drew the vampire’s attention.

Besson’s Direction and Humorous Style

Besson arranges Dracula’s middle-section history of global roaming wearing flamboyant outfits confidently, and he willingly includes giving us some comedy moments with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – such as Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to kill himself after Elisabeta’s death, along with farcical scenes that occur when Dracula douses himself using a particular scent in historic Florence, which makes him compelling to the opposite sex. Absurd yet engaging.

Dracula is on digital platforms starting December 1st and for physical purchase from 22 December. It plays in Australian cinemas starting February 5, 2026.