Dracula (2026) Review 🩸

🗓 Releasing in theaters on February 6

At last… another Dracula movie. And that statement lands somewhere between excitement and exhaustion.

Dracula is one of the most enduring characters in horror history—a gothic icon whose legacy stretches back to Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel and countless film and television adaptations since. In just the last few years alone, audiences have seen Renfield, The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Abigail, Nosferatu, and Abraham’s Boys, all drawing from the same well. So when Luc Besson steps in with a film simply titled Dracula, the question isn’t can it work—it’s why this version, right now?

The answer, unfortunately, is mixed.

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So Here’s the Thing About Luc Besson’s Dracula

Luc Besson’s Dracula isn’t bad. In fact, on a technical level, it’s often impressive. As expected from Besson, the film delivers striking visuals, strong production design, and confident performances. Besson attempts to freshen the material by shifting the setting from London to Paris, leaning heavily into romance, and injecting a heightened sense of magic into the familiar tale. Yet despite these efforts, the film struggles to truly bring new life to a story we already know by heart.

The story opens in the 15th century with Vlad (Caleb Landry Jones) returning to his castle after fighting a war in the name of God. While God is quick to demand Vlad’s devotion, He fails to protect Vlad’s wife Elisabeta (Zoë Bleu), who dies during the conflict. In his grief, Vlad denounces God, is cursed with eternal life, and vows to reunite with his lost love.

This is a familiar setup, but Besson deserves credit for spending time on Vlad’s belief in reincarnation and the recycling of souls—offering emotional logic for his centuries-long obsession. Besson excels when highlighting the mad romance at the core of this tired story. It doesn’t make it feel new, but it does make it emotionally coherent.

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Gothic Romance, With a Twist

Centuries pass, and Vlad survives by feeding on the blood of the living in his isolated castle. After purchasing property in Paris, Jonathan (Ewens Abid) is sent to finalize the paperwork. When Vlad discovers that Jonathan’s fiancée Mina bears a striking resemblance to Elisabeta, he imprisons Jonathan and travels to Paris to reclaim what he believes is his reincarnated love.

The plot is loopy as all hell—but it’s classic gothic romance, and in that sense, timeless.

Once in Paris, the film finds its footing. Vlad stalks Mina, hoping to awaken memories of her past life. He infects Mina’s best friend Maria (Matilda De Angelis), using her as an unwitting ally, while a hardened priest (Christoph Waltz), assisted by Dumont (Guillaume de Tonquédec), begins tracking Vlad to stop the curse from spreading further.

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Weird Choices, Mixed Results

This is an aggressively weird film at times, leaning into comedy more than expected—and occasionally, it works. The scenes between Vlad and Jonathan are strangely funny, filled with awkward exchanges and moments of dark, cartoonish violence that feel closer to Evil Dead than traditional gothic horror.

However, Besson also introduces several puzzling additions to Dracula lore. Vlad wields magical powers that transform those under his spell, including an inexplicable army of CGI gargoyles that roam his castle. The effect is oddly whimsical, evoking Beauty and the Beast or The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and undercuts the menace.

Even more baffling is the rule that once Vlad is killed, all vampire curses instantly vanish—effectively eliminating the stakes of infection and immortality altogether.

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Performances & Presentation

Caleb Landry Jones is undeniably compelling as Dracula—chilling, unsettling, and committed—even if his boyish appearance feels mismatched with the character’s legendary sophistication. Christoph Waltz delivers exactly what you’d expect: dry wit, effortless presence, and lightly sarcastic gravitas, though the role doesn’t challenge him.

Visually, the film shines. The makeup effects, costumes, and cinematography are beautifully crafted, and Besson still shows flashes of the filmmaker who once delivered The Professional and The Fifth Element. But the restricted budget occasionally shows, and some CGI choices feel undercooked.

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Verdict 🩸

We’ll never stop getting new interpretations of Dracula, but arriving so soon after several recent adaptations, Luc Besson’s take doesn’t do enough to set itself apart. Heavily influenced by Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 Dracula, the film leans into tragic romance and a humor-heavy tone, resulting in something that’s stylish and strange—but frustratingly inconsistent.

For die-hard Dracula fans, the film has its moments. But it never fully commits to a clear identity, nor does it justify retelling this legendary story once again.

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Final Score

⭐ 6 / 10
Rating: R
Runtime: 129 minutes
Directed by: Luc Besson
Written by: Luc Besson, Bram Stoker

🩸 Final Word: Beautiful, bloody, and familiar—Dracula (2026) entertains in flashes, but lacks the bite needed to truly stand out.