Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Most vampire fans are very familiar with the lore of Count Dracula from Bram Stoker’s classic gothic novel. But did we need yet another live-action-adaptation of the story? Oh well, director Luc Besson’s almost parody-like take on the story is both riotously comedic in part, and also genuinely tragic by the end! So, yes, for those who haven’t tired of newer versions, this is a great reboot.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure of Caleb Landry Jones playing Prince Vlad, the legendary first vampire, who is cursed to live forever after he commits blasphemy and forsakes God over his beloved wife Elizabeta’s untimely death. In the posters for Dracula, the actor looked more like Willy Wonka from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, than a sinister supernatural being. But I am glad I didn’t let that first impression stop me from watching the film.
Dracula opens with a happy montage of Vlad and his wife Elisabeta (Zoë Bleu) cavorting around their castle in the 1400s and enjoying intimate moments. They are abruptly and almost hilariously torn apart by soldiers who arrive to summon the prince to battle the invading Ottomans.
The chemistry between Caleb Landry Jones and Zoë Bleu is instant, intimate, and playful, strongly establishing the royal couple’s passion for each other. When Elisabeta dies, the cursed Vlad spends centuries looking for his beloved, sure she will be re-incarnated again…
For those wondering how similar Luc Besson’s version is with Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 box office hit starring Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder, and Keanu Reeves – well, some basic plot points are the same. However, Coppola’s film heavily leans into horror, gore, and beastly elements, while this 2025 reboot executes the familiar tale quite differently, toning down the horror and instead delivering a more historic romantic-comedy style retelling.
Caleb Landry Jones entertainingly headlines Dracula, both as Vlad in his youth and, under layers of makeup, as the centuries-old Dracula who lives a reclusive life in his castle. Meanwhile, his minions, the ones he has turned into vampires over the years, do his bidding as they search for Elisabeta. And in a fresh element, Dracula also has some unconventional help at his imposing castle.
Matilda De Angelis, star of Netflix series ‘The Law According to Lidia Poët’, stands out in her supporting role as Maria, an exuberant vampire creating trouble in Paris. She is captured and interrogated by a Priest (Christoph Waltz) intent on hunting down her master, the Dracula.
Zoë Bleu on the other hand is charmingly dichotomous, first as the vivacious Princess Elizabeta, and then as the more demure, God-fearing Mina. Ewens Abid plays Jonathan Harker, Mina’s lawyer fiance, who unwittingly helps Dracula find what he had been looking for across the world for centuries.
This film unfolds like a larger-than-life play playing out in front of you, it has a dynamic theatrical charm of the stage production, especially in scenes where Dracula seduces young woman. Best of all, it strikes a healthy balance between its comic and tragic elements.
The cinematography is not as lavishly grand as some period pieces tend to be these days, but Luc Besson’s film has the right amount of visual flair to make ‘Dracula’ a thoroughly enjoyable affair.
Rating: 8 on 10. Watch ‘Dracula’ on Prime Video or JioHotstar.
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