'Dracula' (2025) Review: A Bold, Stylish Reimagining That Doesn’t Quite Sink Its Fangs In
- Jack Ransom
- 45 minutes ago
- 3 min read
By Jack Ransom - December 5, 2025
When a 15th-century prince (Caleb Landry Jones) denounces God after the loss of his wife (Zoë Bleu) he inherits an eternal curse: he becomes Dracula. Condemned to wander the centuries, he defies fate and death, guided by a single hope - to be reunited with his lost love.
Luc Besson Returns With a Surprising Dracula Reimagining
Another Dracula adaptation to add to the never-ending pile. Luc Besson’s retelling of the tale comes with a myriad of alterations to the familiar material, but wears its influences heavily on its sleeve. This appeared out of nowhere (no theatrical release) and having checked Besson’s filmography as of late, the last film of his to get a wide release was the mediocre Anna.
Dracula is a mixed bag in my opinion, and tonally is all over the place when it comes to the performances and presentation of the film, with switch-up’s occasionally happening mid-scene (there is a decapitation that plays out like a screwball comedy). The film’s opening origin of Vlad’s torment, rage and bloodlust is captured in a blend of melodrama, gravitas and cheese (unfortunately it lacks the punch and sleaze of Coppola’s 1992 version), before we cut to 400 years later and follow a Priest (Christoph Waltz) who specialises in identifying vampires.
From here the film simultaneously recreates the iconic moments of the source material… but also makes some changes which are hit and miss. I’m not joking when I say it turns into a perfume-inflicted dance routine, features sentient stone gargoyles and Drac delivers a John Wick-esque takedown spree in the final act. It’s admirable in a way and certainly stands out in recent memory, with at least it not just being another copy paste of Stoker’s work, however it doesn’t quite gel and the structure can drag points.
Visually, you guessed it, it’s also a mixed bag! At its best the film is genuinely stunning and striking (the Covent of Nun’s sequence, the stellar snowy landscape horse chase and the bustling carnival night out immediately spring to mind). The set designs, costumes and props are lavish, detailed and grandiose in a theatrical manner. However, unfortunately it also looks like it’s shot for an advert at times due to the lighting and the CGI isn’t great. Also, despite some bursts of violence (and the aforementioned finale brawl), it could have been turned up a notch in the gore and thrills department.
Caleb Landry Jones does a great job here. Encapsulating the infatuated obsession, rage and guilt of losing his wife and then very much channelling Gary Oldman’s portrayal for the latter year Count. The rest of the cast do somewhat pale in comparison, Christoph Waltz is pretty much on autopilot, Zoë Bleu’s wide-eyed beauty is unfortunately counteracted by a wooden and mixed bag of a performance. Lastly, Matilda De Angelis is having great fun hamming it up as Maria.
A Stylish Yet Inconsistent Take on the Classic Vampire Myth
Dracula (or Dracula: A Love Tale as it is also known), is a mixed bag of an adaptation. It takes some bold swings, features some genuinely stellar visuals and an excellent lead performance from Jones. However, clashing tones, hindered pacing and inconsistent performances hold it back.
Dracula is available on Digital HD December 1 and DVD & Blu-ray December 22.
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