The 49th Best All-Time Film

(18th 1973-1998)
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)


About 10% of my top 50 films are horror films. Horror films and genre films in general have tremendous potential for delivering messages. (See more on this thought here.) And, lowest of those horror films—but highest of the vampire/Dracula films—is Coppola’s version of Dracula.

It is one of the best of the many retellings of the story. For one thing the art direction and effects are superb. They may be firmly rooted in the early nineties, but they remain beautiful, magical, and scary. But also, the retelling remains truer to the novel in some ways, and ways that highlight some of my favorite aspects of the story. Sure, there is the unfortunate romantic prologue and ending added on, (first seen in the Dan Curtis version in the early seventies) but they also maintain the large ensemble of character that most films cut out. This enables Coppola to explore the important “community of faith” aspect of the story. (See more on this here.)

This isn’t a film for everyone. There is some offensive material here that justifies the R rating. But it is a thoughtful take on a thoughtful, morality play of a story.