For the last couple of months, I have been getting countless edits on my TikTok For You Page (FYP) featuring clips from Luc Besson’s new vampire film, Dracula: A Love Tale, or hearing the viral TikTok sound that says “Vlad the Second, Prince of Wallachia, Count Dracula” in a deep, husky voice. If you have too, then you’ve come to the right place.
As a long-time vampire fan, this movie was at the top of my to-watch list, but no matter where I looked, I couldn’t find it on any streaming platforms. It turns out, unfortunately, that the film has only been released in Europe in a sort of slow-release tactic. Fed up with this weird edging situation the production team is running, I decided to search the internet for the movie. I won’t include the link to the site, but let’s just say if you look up “Dracula a love tale full movie online free”, you should find a list of possible websites to stream from.
I watched this movie the other night, and when I tell you this is one of the most beautiful movies I’ve ever seen, I mean it. Like it’s almost breaking into my top four favourites on Letterboxd, that’s how good it was. I’ve watched several adaptations of Dracula, and vampire movies in general are my favourite niche-movie category, and I think Dracula: A Love Tale might be the best vamp movie I’ve ever seen.
My Spoiler-Free Review
Starting with the highlights, I have to mention the aesthetic of the film. A gothic dream (and nightmare), with soft lighting, elaborate period piece costumes, and immersive settings to make this movie a visual feast. The film’s classical score, composed by Danny Elfman, is also beautiful and excellently accompanies the movie’s scenes, helping to transport the audience into the vampiric atmosphere. Since watching, I’ve been obsessed with listening to the soundtrack while I study for midterms.
Caleb Landry Jones plays the lead role of the dark and tortured Dracula, delivering an intense and convincing performance with his elaborate Romanian accent. This actually isn’t the first vampire movie that Landry Jones has starred in, having played the love interest of vampire Eleanor (played by Saoirse Ronan) in the 2012 movie, Byzantium (another one of my fave vampy films). Starring alongside Landry Jones is actress Zoë Bleu as Dracula’s love interest in the past (Elisabeta) and the reincarnated present (Mina), delivering a stellar performance as both. The chemistry between the two actors is palpable, and I needed no convincing that this iconic gothic pair are mad about each other. Accomplished German-Austrian actor Christoph Walz takes on the role of iconic vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing and again gives a wonderful performance (there is no bad acting in this movie).
The writing in Besson’s adaptation is also exceptional. One of my favourite changes to the well-known story has to be the abandonment of Dracula’s vampire brides. In Besson’s version, Dracula has a hoard of gargoyle servants rather than his three vampire brides, who help guard his castle. This change helps demonstrate truly how much Dracula misses and yearns for his wife. Dracula’s refusal to take another lover shows his dedication to his true love, catering to the female gaze perfectly.
My one downside, which is honestly hardly a negative, is the ending. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve watched my fair share of Dracula adaptations and I’ve read the novel too, so I know how the story ends. Even though I was warned, I still hoped for another change to the storyline by Besson. Unfortunately, this was not the case, and my heart was thoroughly shattered. Despite this, I’ve rewatched the movie twice already and will most definitely be returning to watch it when the movie comes out in North American theatres in February 2026. There are so many wonderful hidden details that you only catch after a rewatch, and I’m sure there are still plenty to find. Happy watching!