Luc Besson’s Dracula Review: A Lavish Gothic Romance Carried by Caleb Landry Jones

Luc Besson’s Dracula (also known as 'Dracula: A Love Tale' in some markets) is a 2025/2026 English-language French Gothic romantic fantasy that reimagines Bram Stoker’s classic through a heavily stylized, romance-forward lens. Directed and written by Besson, it stars Caleb Landry Jones as the immortal Count, Christoph Waltz as a relentless priestly hunter, Zoë Bleu as the reincarnated love interest (Elisabeta/Mina), and supporting turns from Matilda De Angelis and others. The film runs about 130 minutes and blends medieval origins with 19th-century settings.

The story opens in the late 15th century with Prince Vlad witnessing the brutal murder of his beloved wife Elisabeta. In grief and rage, he renounces God, damns heaven, and is cursed with immortality as Dracula. Centuries later, he searches for her reincarnation while evading hunters and grappling with his monstrous nature. The narrative spans time periods, echoing elements of Stoker’s novel but prioritizing the undying romantic obsession over traditional horror beats. Besson has described it as focusing on the "romantic side" of the source material, waiting an eternity for lost love, rather than pure terror.

This isn’t a straightforward horror film or a faithful page-to-screen adaptation. It draws visual and tonal inspiration from Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 'Bram Stoker’s Dracula', with lavish costumes, operatic emotions, and time-hopping grandeur. Besson’s signature style including the usual bold visuals, excess, and a touch of whimsy, infuses the gothic setting with fantasy flourishes, including living gargoyles and heightened, almost balletic sequences.

Caleb Landry Jones delivers a notably, haunting performance as Dracula. He brings an eccentric, fey, decadent energy that is part Gary Oldman’s theatricality, part body-horror in weirdness, with a milky yet sharp accent and magnetic screen presence. He portrays the Count as a tortured romantic anti-hero that is sultry, scary, ridiculous at times, but committed. 

Christoph Waltz is reliably excellent as the witty, careworn vampire-hunting priest, chewing scenery with dry humor and gravitas. Zoë Bleu provides an ethereal presence as the object of eternal longing, while the production design, costumes, and Danny Elfman’s lush score create a visually sumptuous world. Besson shoots with ambition, delivering fiery battle openings, atmospheric castles, and period-hopping spectacle that feels like classic Besson excess (think The Fifth Element meets Hammer Horror).

The film’s biggest issues stem from its inconsistent tone and derivative feel. It swings between romantic melodrama, kitschy absurdity (interpretive dance moments, silly plot contrivances), and sporadic horror without fully committing. The script leans on familiarity with the legend rather than deepening characters or offering fresh insights.

Pacing suffers from flashbacks that restate the obvious, and some CGI elements (flames, gargoyles) look dated or unconvincing. While Besson brings panache, the film often feels like “Coppola’s Dracula the budget version” with added French flamboyance, which is entertaining but not particularly innovative or scary. It prioritizes bodices and swoons over genuine dread or thematic bite.

The Verdict ...

Luc Besson’s  "Dracula" is a visually ambitious, romantically indulgent retelling that lives or dies on your tolerance for stylish excess and Caleb Landry Jones’ committed weirdness. It’s not the definitive or scariest Dracula, nor Besson’s strongest work, but it’s watchable gothic escapism with moments of grandeur and campy fun. Fans of ornate vampire romances or Besson’s flair will find plenty to enjoy. Those seeking horror innovation or fidelity to Stoker may feel let down. It’s a handsome but ultimately hollow love letter to the myth, beautiful on the surface, fleeting underneath.

Rating: 6.2/10 (Solid for what it is, carried heavily by its lead and aesthetics, but held back by uneven execution.)

"An eternity of longing wrapped in silk and shadow, beautifully cursed, but forever chasing its own reflection."

- Horror N Harlots (Bradley C.)