Romanian director Radu Jude follows up his Berlin Silver Bear-winning film Kontinental ’25 with a provocative portmanteau that spoofs horror iconography while delving into the meanings, uses, and abuses of the Dracula myth. Dracula, which premiered at Locarno, is a characteristically serious project from Jude’s inventive pen.
The film stitches together diverse elements, including sex, gore, satire, and semiotics, to create a unique mash-up of cine-philosophy and trash culture. At its core, the film is a study of Vlad “the Impaler” Tepes, the 15th-century Wallachian ruler whose ruthless methods inspired Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula.
Jude’s film reanimates itself with furious, facetious energy, combining elements of horror, history, and online culture. The film features a large ensemble cast, including Adonis Tanta, Gabriel Spahiu, Oana Maria Zaharia, and Andrada Balea, playing multiple roles in variations on horror and history.
The production boasts cutting-edge technology, with lavish use of AI-generated imagery, alongside regular shooting on iPhone to create an abrasive grungy effect. The film’s political seriousness is evident in two episodes that ponder the uses of the Dracula myth as a means of social control and capitalism vampirizing proletarian labor.
While some of the excesses may be labored, Jude’s film is undeniably provocative and farcical. It should tickle and perplex horror fans and art-house enthusiasts alike, stirring debate on its premier at Locarno. With its unique blend of cine-philosophy and trash culture, Dracula is a must-see for fans of experimental cinema.
Source: https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/dracula-review-romanias-radu-jude-presents-a-typically-inventive-study-of-the-vampire-myth/5207513.article