Netflix Is Sending Viewers Into a Frenzy With This “Lavish and Seductive” Vampire Classic
Vampires are having a major moment. For a while, it seemed like they were completely, totally, 100% over, but after the success of the TV series What We Do in the Shadows, it seems like vampires are back in a big way. It’s no surprise Nosferatu and Sinners did so well at the box office—the people want vampires, and they want them bad.
So bad, in fact, that audiences in the United States are willing to watch Luc Besson’s latest film, Dracula: A Love Tale, through stitched-together fragments on TikTok, but everybody knows that’s the worst way to watch anything. It’s no wonder then that another sexy vampire film was recently making waves online.
That film is Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Francis Ford Coppola’s famously maximalist take on the iconic vampire novel streaming on Netflix. And while the resurgence in interest makes sense given the broader vampire media boom, I have a strong suspicion that its recent spike in views is also tied to the mounting curiosity around Besson’s film. If you can’t watch Dracula: A Love Tale, of course, you’re going to watch the film that made Dracula romantic for the mainstream.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula tells the story of Jonathan Harker (Keanu Reeves), a young attorney who travels to Transylvania to arrange a real estate transaction for the reclusive Count Dracula (Gary Oldman). Count Dracula immediately takes an interest in Jonathan’s fiancée, Mina (Winona Ryder), who looks suspiciously like his dead wife, Elisabeta. Believing she has been reincarnated, Dracula will stop at nothing to win her back. He’s been waiting for her for four centuries, after all.
Our own Matthew Jackson called the film “one of the greatest vampire films ever made—a lavish and seductive production powered by practical effects, stellar performances, and magnificent costumes.” Coppola’s plot takes some liberties with its source material, but most of the changes work well. I actually love Dracula’s backstory here (he’s a 15th-century warrior who has renounced God), and I think the love story adds an interesting layer to the plot. Did I mention there’s a steamy scene involving Mina’s friend Lucy (Sadie Frost) and Dracula disguised as a wolf?
Watch the trailer below:
For viewers craving the version of Dracula that is sexy, theatrical, and romantic, Coppola’s adaptation is perfect. I’d even go so far as to argue that it’s still the gold standard when it comes to Gothic novel adaptations, next to Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.
Whether you’ve never seen it or haven’t revisited it since its ’90s heyday, Bram Stoker’s Dracula is worth the watch. Pair this with Interview with the Vampire if you want to have a really good night. And if you love Bram Stoker’s Dracula or have a thing for vampires like me, let me know on Instagram and X: @ashjenexi.
Categorized: Streaming News
