My quick rating – 6.7/10. This one had me at writer/director Luc Besson. Listing all the reasons why would take a while, but if his name doesn’t at least spark curiosity, that’s on you. Dracula is very much a Besson film. Lush, romantic, visually indulgent, and occasionally a little too in love with itself. Honestly, I have no problem with that.
The story starts off in 15th-century Romania, and introduces a confident and frightening Prince Vladimir (Caleb Landry Jones). His overwhelming passion for his wife, Princess Elisabeta, who is portrayed by Zoë Bleu, sparks off everything that follows. The threat of the Ottoman Empire, as well as their soldiers invading and moving across the country, is unstoppable. Vladimir earns a fearsome reputation, but it’s his personal loss, and not war, that makes him cross over into evil territory. His denial of faith appears to be as vicious as his denials of heaven. Immortality is not a gift here. It’s a curse, one that condemns Vlad to wander the centuries as Dracula, unable to die, unable to forget.
Four hundred lonely years later, Besson shifts the film into dazzling Belle Époque Paris and absolutely nails the period. The costumes, sets, and atmosphere are gothic eye candy from start to finish. This is a flick that is aware of its own visual glory, sometimes to the point of being pretentious, but it’s hard to complain when every frame looks so good. The castle interiors, the roaming gargoyle servants (such a fun touch), and Dracula’s makeup all add to the film’s striking aesthetic identity.
At its heart, Dracula is far more romance than horror, although it easily achieves both genres. Vlad’s eternal search for Elisabeta plays out across eras, including one of my favorite scenes, where there’s a demonstration of perfume as mind control. A playful, stylish bit that feels very Besson. Dracula, as he relates his ill-fated history to Jonathan (Ewens Abid), adds another layer to our understanding of the vampire, beyond mere gore and fangs.
Christoph Waltz is excellent in his depiction as the priest, who is intent on ridding the world of the curse of Dracula. He brings with him assurance, in addition to a bit of menace. The battle scene is quite good in the final showdown, with the gargoyles joyfully leaping into the fray. Passion, anger, vengeance, and hatred are fighting it out in an appropriately operatic fashion (can you hear a blue alien singing?).
Jones shines in his role as Vlad/Dracula, giving a performance that is as heartfelt as it is terrifying. Dracula is a visually stunning, rich Gothic romance that, while it’s never subtle, is impossible to look away. I’d have to recommend this to any fans of smart horror movies, grand sagas of love, and bold productions that take risks.
Released internationally on July 30th, 2025, this will be hitting theaters in the USA on February 6th, 2026. I’ll update those streaming links (they are currently for Australia) for you as long as I remember to. Another movie that would’ve hit my Top Ten for 2025, at least an honorable mention, had I watched it last year, but now it is my first noted for Top Ten of 2026.
