Since he was first penned to life by Bram Stoker in 1897, Dracula’s shadowed figure has loomed large in the hearts and minds of humanity.
If you see a vampire in a movie, chances are that they were in one way or another derived from the Count himself. He’s the main inspiration in film after film, including the original “Dracula” and “Nosferatu” movies at the advent of the moving picture, as well as in their recent readaptations in Robert Eggers’s 2024 film “Nosferatu” and in Luc Besson’s “Dracula: A Love Tale”, released early this February. With hard-hitting competition for this new Dracula adaptation in the aforementioned “Nosferatu”, and Ryan Coogler’s summertime 2025 release “Sinners”, “Dracula: A Love Tale” is the third vampire film released within a short period in the film industry. How does it stack up against such tough, well-received competition?
If you’re searching for another cold, haunting and aching gothic tale like “Nosferatu,” or a fresh and unique perspective on the vampire a la “Sinners,” you will definitely not find it here. However, the value of a vampire movie or Dracula retelling isn’t always found in its seriousness or cinematography. Sometimes, the fun of an adaptation can be found in its merits as its own piece of media – a piece of media that you can allow yourself to enjoy with an open mind and a taste for the dramatic flair of romance.
“Dracula: A Love Tale” is a derivative of a derivative. It is very clearly based on Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” from 1992, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, but lacks the star-studded cast and even more of the references to the source material. On top of it all, it appears lower in budget and is sure to make less of a cultural impact than the 1990s version. Even so, despite all of the ways in which it fell short — there were things to love about the film as well. If you go into the theater knowing what to expect, it is impossible to dislike.
This new adaptation is campy, with over-the-top costumes, emotions and characters. It’s ridiculous and absurd in its way, but it contains the best romance between Dracula and another character in a film adaptation. This version of Dracula is not concerned with brides, men, or expanding his domain, he is focused on finding and reuniting with his tragically lost and reincarnated love, Elizabeta.
All of his actions in the movie are driven by a love that spans the gap of centuries, and once it is recovered, he is motivated by preserving the life and soul of his beloved, at all cost. It is absolutely clear that, instead of being a classic vampire burdened by his love, Luc Besson’s Dracula is a man in love who is burdened by vampirism.
Despite the movie’s shortcomings, if you have seen Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” and wished that there was a more palpable love between Dracula and Elizabeta, you will find it here, accompanied by drama, death and clever references. Not every new release or adaptation has to be groundbreaking, and this movie absolutely gives us what we were promised — a love tale.
One thing is for sure: if you haven’t enjoyed this particular campy, romantic and fantastical version of Dracula, it’s nothing to worry about. He will inevitably come to life again, in another form, in another movie. After all, maybe that’s the true mark of immortality.
