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After the devastating loss of his wife, a 15th-century prince renounces God and is cursed with eternal life, becoming Dracula and wandering the centuries in search of his lost love.
Bob’s Review
Verdict and Complete ReviewDracula Movie Review
Bob’s Complete Review
When a 15th-century prince denounces God after the loss of his wife, he inherits an eternal curse and becomes Dracula. Condemned to wander through the centuries, he defies fate and death, driven by a single hope — to one day be reunited with his lost love.
The visuals were much better than I was expecting. For the most part, they’re well done, atmospheric, and visually engaging.
What really surprised me about Dracula is the story itself. I’m not a Dracula expert by any means, but I don’t recall seeing this exact take on the character before. In this version, Vlad goes to war in God’s name and asks for one thing in return — the safety of his wife. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned. Her death pushes Vlad to renounce God, and in doing so, he’s cursed and turned into a vampire. That specific transformation moment is a little murky and could have been clearer, but the emotional motivation behind it works.
From there, the movie follows Vlad across many years as he searches for the reincarnation of his wife. A lot of time is spent on this search, and while the idea is interesting, it leads to the biggest issue with the film: the runtime. At nearly two hours long, the pacing really starts to drag after the first hour. The movie slows down significantly and doesn’t fully pick back up until close to the end.
I also went in expecting a darker, creepier Dracula, and while there are moments of mood and atmosphere, the film never really leans into being scary. It’s much more of a tragic, romantic take on the character than a horror-driven one, which may surprise some viewers.
That said, I did enjoy this movie overall, and quite a few elements were better than I expected going in. The story is different, the visuals are solid, and the emotional core mostly works — even if it overstays its welcome.
Dracula may not be the scariest version of the character, but it offers a more emotional and romantic take that sets it apart from other adaptations. The pacing and length hold it back, but there’s enough here to make it worth a look if you’re interested in a different spin on the legend.
Bob’s Score: 3/5
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TimelineLimited Edition 4K UHD + Blu-ray SteelBook
Vertical Entertainment releases Luc Besson's Dracula (also known as Dracula: A Love Tale) in a Limited Edition 4K UHD + Blu-ray SteelBook on November 17, 2026. The 2025 fantasy-horror romance stars Caleb Landry Jones, Christoph Waltz and Zoë Bleu. The U.S. SteelBook preorder is available through Amazon.