Dracula (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – After his wife dies, a 15th century prince renounces God and becomes a vampire. Centuries later in 19th century London, he sees a woman resembling his late wife and pursues her, sealing his own fate.

My Take – While we are still reeling from the effects of the profoundly unsettling experience that was Robert Eggers‘ Nosferatu (2025), we have yet another ‘Dracula’ adaptation that aims to focus on the different aspect of the universally famous bloody sucking vampire by rediscovering the profound love story buried in the pages of author Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel.

Helmed by visionary French filmmaker Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Léon: The Professional), who trades his usual sci-fi neon and hit man grit for something far more elegant and atmospheric, and sees him strip away the familiar layers of the vampire hunter trope to reveal a sprawling tragedy about a man who could not say goodbye.

But since the writer-director isn’t exactly known for subtle drama and for drawing out the horror from a story, he opts to tell the tale of doomed love through the lens of a heightened fairy tale that blends humor, sensuality, and wild ideas. Leaving us with an experience that is mostly ridiculous, but also utterly watchable.

Yes, since it is based on an overly recognizable material it struggles to add fresh material to the proceedings, but anchored by its stellar ensemble, Danny Elfman’s comically grandiose score, and the filmmaker’s unmistakable European polish, we are served with an audiovisual feast that delivers thrills with unapologetic verve, turning familiar lore into a chaotic, charming indulgence.

Indeed, this is Dracula like you’ve never seen him before, and if you’re willing to let your guard down, this film will work as a pleasant surprise.

Beginning in 15th century Romania, the story follows Prince Vladimir (Caleb Landry Jones), who despite his sworn duties to defend his country and the Church from the Ottoman invaders, mostly cares about the happiness of his beloved wife, Elisabeta (Zoë Bleu). But when she is brutally killed, Vladimir ends up cursing God and murdering a high-ranking priest, hereby, unleashing a horrifying curse that turns him into an immortal vampire. Leaving him pining for his deceased beloved, a belief that Elisabeta will one day return to him and a search that will last for centuries.

Four hundred years later, his search ends with Mina (Zoë Bleu), the demure fiancée of Dracula’s timid land agent, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), who arrived at the count’s castle to discuss his property portfolio and whose miniature portrait of the winsome Elisabeta reincarnation catches his eye.

Meanwhile, a young woman named Maria (Matilda De Angelis), who after showcasing strange afflictions at her wedding is hospitalized in a Parisian sanatorium. Where she is recognized by a special priest (Christoph Waltz) as one of innumerable vampire followers present all over Europe. But while the priest and his acolytes are eager to save Mina, Vladimir, now going by the name Count Dracul, is determined to do everything in his power to find the young woman and awaken her memories of him.

Here, the film surprisingly re-humanizes the iconic count as a tragic figure, blending historical drama with supernatural yearning in a way that feels both audacious and deeply personal. His love is not just fierce; it is profoundly melancholic, almost poetic in nature. He is a husband who has lost the light of his life, yet he clings to memories, to the echo of his wife’s presence, with such tenderness that it is impossible not to be swept away.

Of course, his screenplay borrows from other vampire films, especially from filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola‘s 1992 feature. And not just in the centuries-spanning love story, but also purely visually, such as in the bloodsucker’s hair and make-up. Yet, the dark romance, the intensity of the longing, the ache of separation, and the beauty of a bond that refuses to fade are what make this director Beeson‘s retelling truly different.

Another surprising aspect of the film is how it blends multiple genres. Though it mostly operates as a gothic romance, and vampire tale, the narrative also uses humor to offset moments of tension. Like the backstory portions where the count’s repeatedly attempts to kill himself after Elisabeta’s death to futile results, and the scenes where he douses himself in a certain perfume in 18th-century Florence, that makes him irresistible to women.

While purists might loath how the notorious and celebrated Gothic figure from literature has inadvertently found himself in camp romp. But director Beeson deserves credit for making version more accessible to viewers who are not particularly horror enthusiasts or fans of romantic dramas. Of course, there is the niggling sense that the humor in this tonal hodgepodge is completely accidental, but it still lands.

Performance wise, Caleb Landry Jones threatens to go over-the-top at times, especially when he channels his Gary Oldman, but the young actor ensures that his portrayal of Vladimir’s journey from noble prince to tormented immortal remains engulfed with intensity. Debutante Zoë Bleu (a daughter of Rosanna Arquette) draws you in with grace and vulnerability. Despite pulling double duty, her turn is tender, luminous, and hauntingly compelling.

Christoph Waltz as a priest version of Van Helsing brings a certain mischievousness to the role and grounds the story, offering a moral and emotional counterpoint to the consuming passion of Dracula and Mina. Matilda De Angelis brings a charmingly manic turn as Maria. Her character more or less combines the functions of Renfield, Lucy, and the vampire brides. In other roles, Ewens Abid, David Shields, Guillaume de Tonquédec and Anne Kessler provide decent support. On the whole, ‘Dracula‘ is a surprisingly captivating romantic fantasy retelling anchored by its committed execution and performances.