Dracula Movie Critique – Besson’s Passionate Revamp of the Classic Horror Story is Absurd but Engaging
Perhaps there is no great enthusiasm for a fresh take of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for glossiness and bloat. However, it’s worth noting: his opulently crafted love story with vampires displays creativity and style – and amid its theatrical camp, I might just favor over the recent, stately interpretation by Robert Eggers of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, such as a scene that looks like it presents a territorial boundary between France and Romania.
The Veteran Actor as a Humorously Exhausted Priest Tracking the Undead
Christoph Waltz portrays a clever but beleaguered vampire-hunting priest – it feels natural for him to tackle this role before – who arrives in Paris in 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. So does the sinister Dracula, played by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent similar to the voice of Gru by Steve Carell from the Despicable Me comedies. This character he seemed destined to play.
The Plot: A Saga of Heartbreak
The plot unfolds as follows: Dracula has been restlessly roaming the globe in anguish over four centuries since he became undead, a consequence for his irreligious grief over the death of his beloved Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). The count has been searching, searching, searching for some woman who would be the return of his deceased partner. Unfortunately, the chosen woman proves to be Mina (again played by Bleu), the reserved future wife of the count’s timid estate manager, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who has recently been to the count’s castle to review his real estate holdings and the tiny painting of the winsome Mina drew the vampire’s attention.
Besson’s Handling and Comic Flair
Besson organizes Dracula’s flashback sequence of global roaming in various outrageous costumes with a sure hand, and he doesn’t shy away from providing humorous scenes with a distinctly Mel Brooks flavour – like the vampire’s constant unsuccessful tries to end his own life post-Elisabeta’s demise, along with comical sequences that occur when Dracula applies to himself using a particular scent in historic Florence, which causes him to be irresistible to women. Outlandish but entertaining.
Dracula is available digitally beginning on the first of December and on DVD and Blu-ray from December 22nd. It will be shown in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.
