It starts in 1480 before fast-forwarding to 1889 Paris instead of London. (Bram Stoker’s novel was published in 1897.) Dracula (Caleb Landry Jones) prefers to spend his free time with his wife, Elisabeta (Zoë Bleu), but he fights the Ottomans at the behest of the Cardinal (Haymon Maria Buttinger) believing that he is doing God’s work, but in exchange for his wife’s safety. When that does not work out, he says, “Until He brings me back my wife, my life no longer belongs to Him.” Will he keep his promise and return to God once he finds his reincarnated wife, Mina Murray (also Bleu)? There are good movies, and there are fun ones. Guess which category that Luc Besson’s “Dracula” (2025) or “Dracula: A Love Story” falls in? Jones finally gets a starring role, and he nails it. The rest of the movie comes to a screeching halt whenever he is not on the screen.
“Dracula” is not as good as the visually superior “Nosferatu” (2024), but it does not have to be. “Dracula” feels as if Besson watched a crap ton of television series, including the styling and attitude of “Interview with a Vampire,” and Francis Ford Coppola’s “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” (1992) among many movies. The remix with tons of cinematic samples feels like a rom com with comedy leaning towards a spoof parody. All the actors are in on the joke, particularly Jones, whom I have been consciously following since “Byzantium” (2012), another vampire movie. He is an unsettling actor that screams danger even when he is not trying akin to Juno Temple (compliment). More controlled than Joaquin Phoenix and weirder than Johnny Depp, his career probably did not take off because his looks lean more towards Phoenix than Depp, but he is reminiscent of someone with a Heath Ledger range if Ledger was always demented.
As Dracula, Jones plays the character straight, but it is still a dry, amusing performance, but Dracula is only cracking jokes that he knows the punchlines too. It is a bonkers performance. The accent is ridiculous, but it feels like one of the party favors, not a flaw. As a living prince in love, he is so over the top. As the dead man meeting Jonathan Harker, he is like a bored, slightly amused, aging rock star who once modeled for fun and maybe played an elf in the “Lord of the Rings” franchise for funsies (or maybe a Targaryen, but I would not wish that on my worst enemy), and once he realizes that his wife is reincarnated, he comes out of retirement and inexplicably decides that he wants to look like Jacobi Ellordi in “Frankenstein” (2025) with a dash of Keyser Soze. It is hard to be funny while also convincingly playing a grief-stricken lover, but Jones nails it. This Dracula has a lot more unexpected powers, and instead of a castle with vampire brides lurking in the shadows, he has a team of….spoilers, which gives the impression of a demented Disney prince if he found the reincarnated Jim Henson. Even though his helpers eagerly help him get blood, their loyalty and faithfulness actually feel like a sweet detail until the denouement reveals their true origin. This Dracula keeps you guessing: the impetuous, blonde prince, the random Goth/Babadook switch up and all the makeovers according to the fashion of the era, a delirious montage that just adds to the joy. Yes, that part of Dracula’s past is long overdue, and how has it not happened before. There are complaints about Besson lifting huge swaths from other movies to supplement his history, but I do not hear so much whining about other movies. This time, I’m forgetting about the law.
Bleu’s opening scenes are memorable. It is an enthusiastic, naked and unashamed performance like a rich, young hot thing used to getting what she wants and thrilled to get something that she did not even know was an option. When she dresses up as the Princess, she is so regal and convincing that Dracula’s decision to forsake God makes sense even with another ridiculous accent. If you lost her, you would be crying for centuries. The moments preceding her death scene are so ferocious in spirit that it is possible to think that she stands a chance. She really maintains her composure despite all the setbacks. Blondes definitely have more fun. Mina is not nearly as fearless in spirit or fierce in appearance. While still hella attractive, brunette Mina is a step down for Bleu though the change in appearance is understandable given the story. Still just change the clothes next time. Bleu had great chemistry with Jones. Mina does not want to be saved, and the lack of ambiguity in “Dracula” makes it easier to root for the titular character.
Mina’s fiancé, Jonathan Harker (Ewens Abid), does not stand a chance and is the only other character who bears a similarity to his novel origins. He is a dull fellow who takes forever to figure out the danger that he is. Abid performs Jonathan as the antonym to Dracula that it is impossible to imagine how Mina could like both men. Otherwise, the other characters feel brand new even if they are supposed to resemble the novel’s characters.
Christoph Waltz engages in his usual, verbose, nonplussed schtick as the priest so if you like that, you are in for a treat. His role in the denouement was unexpectedly moving even if you are not rooting for him. I was annoyed that there were no details about his order when “The Pope’s Exorcist” (2023) exists. Why stop copying now? The red headed Maria (Matilda De Angelis) is a delightful mashup of two characters, and as a main supporting character, it is an imaginative expansion on a formerly one-dimensional character. Henry Spencer (David Shields) is so forgettable that he may as well wear a red shirt or just end up on the cutting room floor. The Clerk (Raphael Luce) feels more essential and is an entirely new character. Dr. Dumont (Guillaume de Tonquédec) exists as a metric to show how the Priest’s reactions to this situation are not normal. Other than Maria, they feel like filler to delay the reunion between Mina and Dracula. It is easy to relate to Mina. Any time away from Dracula is unbearable.
If you want a costume drama, “Dracula” is for you. If you are looking for memorable fight scenes including sword play, “Dracula” has got you. Besson will make you wait for the blood sucking, but it is worth it. Is there supposed to be a larger message about the events taking place on the one-hundred-year anniversary of the French Revolution and a blood sucking noble? Maybe, but the timing felt more as if Besson wanted to imagine what it was like to celebrate during that time, not a meaningful theme. The Priest is convincing because of how dissimilar he is to the Cardinal, including not making grand pronouncements about God’s will and making ungodly demands. It did land, and it was a beautiful surprise reminiscent of my favorite episode of “The Walking Dead.” It felt like a sincere Jesus message.
I was still rooting for the pair to stay together. “Dracula” is for the unconditional vampire lovers who love a little camp, a lot of weird and a just the right amount of blood. Jones and Bleu bring sexy back to vampires. If Besson invented the word hematographus to add to the vampire lexicon, that is all the originality that we need. Also, if ashes take the form of a murmuration ascending to heaven, aside from the obvious CGI slop, it is the spirit of lyricism. Give Besson an internship with Guillermo del Toro, stat.
