Dracula: A Love Tale (2025)


Genre: Gothic Romance / Fantasy / Drama
Director: Luc Besson
Starring: Caleb Landry Jones, Christoph Waltz, Zoë Bleu
Dracula: A Love Tale (2025) is Luc Besson’s ambitious reinterpretation of Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire myth — not as pure horror, but as a tragic romance spanning centuries. The story follows Vlad, a grieving prince who renounces faith after losing his beloved wife and becomes the immortal Dracula, wandering for 400 years in search of her reincarnation.
Rather than focusing on fear, the film leans into gothic melodrama, emotional obsession, and the cost of eternal love, presenting Dracula as both monster and romantic anti-hero.
Jones delivers a strange, emotionally raw performance, portraying Dracula as an anguished soul driven by grief and obsession rather than simple evil. Critics noted his eccentric presence as one of the film’s most compelling elements.
Waltz plays a sharp, unconventional priest and vampire hunter, balancing humor with menace. His performance adds energy and unpredictability to the narrative.
Besson transforms the classic myth into a melancholic love story filled with lavish visuals, theatrical drama, and fairy-tale aesthetics. The film prioritizes emotional longing and existential themes over traditional scares.
The film’s grand visuals and melodramatic storytelling impressed some viewers but also drew criticism for excessive kitsch, heavy-handed style, and cliché elements that sometimes overshadow the narrative.