Bela Lugosi gives the performance of his life in a role that might have been written just for him. Highly atmospheric throughout, this remains a milestone in horror movie history.
Comment
09/25/07
Dracula (1931)
93
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:42
Fresh:39
Rotten:3
Average Rating:7.8/10
Consensus: Bela Lugosi's timeless portrayal of Dracula in this creepy and atmospheric 1931 film has set the standard for major vampiric roles since.
Runtime: 75 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Synopsis: This is the first screen version of Bram Stoker's famous tale based on the smash hit stage production. Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) arrives in London and immediately works to enrapture and transform... [More]
Starring: Bela Lugosi, Helen Chandler, David Manners, Dwight Frye
Director: Tod Browning
Reviews for Dracula
Top CriticWhen Bela Lugosi died he was buried wearing one of his original silk capes. Forever cloaked, he casts his shadow still.
09/26/02
Top CriticNot by any means the masterpiece of fond memory or reputation, although the first twenty minutes are astonishingly fluid and brilliantly shot by Karl Freund.
01/26/06
Top CriticClick to read the article
10/18/08
Top CriticAn exciting melodrama, not as good as it ought to be but a cut above the ordinary trapdoor-and-winding-sheet type of mystery film.
10/15/08
Top CriticThe atmospheric opening is the best part -- moody and full of sinister potential. After that, it's stilted drawing-room talk, variably acted, except for the cultish over-the-top dementia of Dwight Frye.
09/25/07
Top CriticNo review available.
09/05/03
While Lugosi is of course memorable, don't forget Helen Chandler's Mina, who communicates more through her eyes than virtually any other actress caught on film.
02/13/01
No review available.
09/21/05
Stark, cold, and deeply sensual, "Dracula's" atmosphere and intention is rooted in a fear of unknown lust and desire from which there can be no escape. To view "Dracula" is to be bitten by the vampire's desperate attack.
05/08/09
The brilliant opening act is overwhelmingly creepy and full of subtle perversity.
09/25/01
The opening scenes, set in Dracula's castle, are magnificent -- grave, stately, and severe. But the film becomes unbearably static once the action moves to England.
09/25/07
Once you get into the rhythms of the film, you’ll discover a masterpiece.
10/08/05
The film's superbly weird acting and cinematography haven't changed, but Universal's new video edition features a freshly written score by Philip Glass, the world-famous minimalist composer.
09/26/02
...the film survives as a classic horror tale largely because of Lugosi's distinctive portrayal as Dracula.
11/04/02
No review available.
06/19/05
It haunted no one as much as dear Bela...
01/07/05
No review available.
03/22/04
Dracula deserves its status as a classic, although one might be tempted to append the word 'lesser' to that label.
01/01/00
Bela Lugosi is inspired in the role of the vampire. One can no longer label it a good performance or a bad performance. Lugosi embodies the role.
01/01/00
Latest News for Dracula
October 27, 2009:
Sink Your Teeth Into RT's Best Vampires Movies List!
How do you explain our collective fascination with vampires? Well, in spite of the terrible curse that they must endure, these undead bloodsuckers have some attributes to which... More...
May 16, 2007:
Ernest Dickerson to Direct "Dracula" Sequel
An "officially sanctioned" sequel to Bram Stoker's "Dracula" is about to hit the bookshelves ... and the movie screens. More...
July 11, 2006:
Universal Plans "Dracula" Origin Story
Newcomer screenwriters Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless have sold a Dracula-oriented screenplay to Universal, but this one seems to promise something new: The bloodsucker's full... More...
May 03, 2006:
A Sequel to the Original "Dracula"?
Filmmaker Jan de Bont plans to produce the first "officially sanctioned" sequel to Bram Stoker's original "Dracula" story, one that will catch up with all of... More...
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