Dracula Movie Critique – Luc Besson’s Love-Struck Reimagining of the Timeless Gothic Tale is Outlandish but Engaging

It’s possible there is no great enthusiasm for an updated adaptation of Dracula from Luc Besson, the French maestro for stylish excess. And yet, one must admit: his richly designed love story with vampires has ambition and panache – and amid its theatrical camp, it could be preferable over Robert Eggers’s recent, solemnly classy version of Nosferatu. Odd details emerge, such as a scene that appears to show a territorial boundary between France and Romania.

Christoph Waltz as a Witty Yet Careworn Clergyman Hunting Vampires

Christoph Waltz portrays a clever but beleaguered man of the church pursuing the undead – it’s surprising he never took on this character previously – who ends up in Paris in 1889 for the French Revolution centenary celebrations. Likewise present is the evil Count Dracula, brought to life by the seasoned horror actor Caleb Landry Jones with a mangled central European accent evoking Carell’s Gru character of the Despicable Me series. It’s a role he seemed destined to play.

The Plot: A Tale of Love and Loss

Here’s the premise: Dracula has wandered endlessly the world in sorrow over four centuries since he became undead, a penalty for his irreligious grief over the death of his wife, Elisabeta (a first film part for Zoë Bleu, daughter of Rosanna Arquette). The count has been searching, searching, searching for some woman who might be the return of his lost love. By cruel fate, the chosen woman turns out 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 Dracula’s fortress to review his property portfolio and the small picture of the charming Mina caught the count’s hooded eye.

Besson’s Handling and Lighthearted Touch

Besson arranges Dracula’s second-act backstory of worldwide travels in various outrageous costumes confidently, and he doesn’t shy away from offering some comedy moments reminiscent of Mel Brooks – such as Dracula’s ongoing failed efforts to commit suicide after Elisabeta’s death, in addition to comical sequences that follow Dracula applies to himself with a specific fragrance in 18th-century Florence, which makes him unavoidably attractive to females. Outlandish but entertaining.

Dracula is on digital platforms from 1 December and in disc format from December 22nd. It plays in Australian cinemas from 5 February 2026.