Dracula (2020)

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: Jan 4, 2020
User Score
6.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 208 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 116 out of 208
  2. Mixed: 36 out of 208
  3. Negative: 56 out of 208

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User Reviews

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  1. Justadude84
    Jan 4, 2020
    10
    Mr Gatiss and Mr Moffat's Dracula is the most fun I've had with a vampire story in ages. It has equal parts charm, wit, and fright, and manages the tricky task of paying homage to Bram Stoker's Dracula while making the story feel exciting and contemporary. Nicely done.
  2. AthanasiosT
    Jan 4, 2020
    10
    Congratulations BBC. Excellent is a one word description for all the aspects of this show : Writing; the adaptation perfectly follows but doesn't copy the classic story, dialogues are smart and sharp. Casting; superb acting from everyone. Directing, photography; Gothic atmosphere is captured and depicted. Even the -fashionable- diversity is not forced, but nicely blended in. After Hammer'sCongratulations BBC. Excellent is a one word description for all the aspects of this show : Writing; the adaptation perfectly follows but doesn't copy the classic story, dialogues are smart and sharp. Casting; superb acting from everyone. Directing, photography; Gothic atmosphere is captured and depicted. Even the -fashionable- diversity is not forced, but nicely blended in. After Hammer's Christopher Lee, I didn't expect to find another Dracula worth of my time, but I'm glad I was proven wrong. Netflix, please give the Witcher to BBC for a reboot.… Expand
  3. HtetOoWaiYan
    Jan 6, 2020
    9
    Ooh... 2020 starts well.

    I thought the show's gonna be a plain adaptation from the book (which I still might enjoy), but it turns out to be a modern take on Dracula with wacky dialogues and some unexpected-but-welcome decisions. All three episodes are a smart mix of horror and humor, and I like every second of it. The first and second episodes are solid 8 out of 10. But, the final    Ooh... 2020 starts well.

    I thought the show's gonna be a plain adaptation from the book (which I still might enjoy), but it turns out to be a modern take on Dracula with wacky dialogues and some unexpected-but-welcome decisions. All three episodes are a smart mix of horror and humor, and I like every second of it.

    The first and second episodes are solid 8 out of 10. But, the final episode is just remarkable both in the storytelling and the technical aspects. The actors are terrific, especially the two leads, Claes Bang and Dolly Wells. I must say Bang makes himself a fantastic Dracula.

    Dracula (2020) is not too over the top and not too grounded either, the balance of it is what I adore about it.    … Expand
  4. nanamihs
    Jan 5, 2020
    10
    835/5000
    This series is perfect! It brings us rich scriptwriting and genius. The horror is explicit there, the elegance of the dracula with seduction was conveyed to perfection. from bram stoker, falls into the trap perfectly. I like the confusion the show has, it makes you wonder what is going on all the time, and then reveals it with a big surprise. clearly observes the talent of the    835/5000
    This series is perfect! It brings us rich scriptwriting and genius. The horror is explicit there, the elegance of the dracula with seduction was conveyed to perfection. from bram stoker, falls into the trap perfectly. I like the confusion the show has, it makes you wonder what is going on all the time, and then reveals it with a big surprise. clearly observes the talent of the production. Only thing that the series to be lost was in the relationship of Luci and in the fitting of Jack and the doctor there, but closing with a golden key the end. in a very magnificent and philosophical way.    … Expand
  5. Nashi
    Jan 4, 2020
    10
    Great just f*****g GREAT, the series is perfect in so many point. So, i don't wanna spoil or something but the ending is soo magic, you have to see one of the best series from January
  6. Ryanfold
    Jan 4, 2020
    10
    So epics. I’m only 2 of 3 in, but I’m totally hooked!!!

    What a sleeper hit!
  7. TheDevilCorrect
    Jan 4, 2020
    8
    My first thought was it's a very cool depiction of Count Dracula, and updated too. My second thought was, wow Claes Bang would make an excellent James Bond.

    I wasn't really thrilled with episode 3 (but the graveyard scene is a must see), nor the conclusion, but it's I feel the first two episodes made up for it. For this genre, the end was fine, but not extraordinary.
  8. otavio98
    Jan 6, 2020
    10
    Amazingly creative! Such a good story. I didn't liked Dracula so far, now I'm fan!
  9. Andrewzc
    Jan 7, 2020
    10
    Excellent script, casting, acting and production values. If you're not from the UK and are wondering if some of the BBC haters on here ever watch the programmes they hate, and are wondering why they bother two things. First, many of them don't actually watch the programmes (or if they do, they're masochists given the level of hatred they exhibit. Secondly, they are politically motivated:Excellent script, casting, acting and production values. If you're not from the UK and are wondering if some of the BBC haters on here ever watch the programmes they hate, and are wondering why they bother two things. First, many of them don't actually watch the programmes (or if they do, they're masochists given the level of hatred they exhibit. Secondly, they are politically motivated: the hard right and hard left hate the BBC and want to see its licence fee funding removed. Their reviews are driven entirely by their desire to shut the organisation down. Hope that helps.… Expand
  10. lex_spellman13
    Jan 8, 2020
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Esta serie es una producción muy buena, recién he visto dos capítulos y te atrapa, además de que te deja con la intriga de que es pasará en el siguiente capítulo y todo esto hace que corras a ver el capítulo siguiente.… Expand
  11. Kalele005
    Jan 7, 2020
    9
    this show was simply amazing it was three great episode i just think that the third episode was neccessary but was the weakest episode, now i just hoping for a season 2 that bring us back in the dracula's past like seen his decent to sadness,madness and debut as the first vampire at his origins or maybe tell us more about his past event, i can't help myself i really did enjoy the first twothis show was simply amazing it was three great episode i just think that the third episode was neccessary but was the weakest episode, now i just hoping for a season 2 that bring us back in the dracula's past like seen his decent to sadness,madness and debut as the first vampire at his origins or maybe tell us more about his past event, i can't help myself i really did enjoy the first two episode and was shocked at the end of the second episode, thanks to the creators of this show to have created a emotional journey all along and a meaningful one, they choose the right actors, the right animator effects the right music composer, it was a dark and gothic athmosphere, i just a bit disappointed that we didn't see more badass action scene it would be my only complain otherwise this show is a huge respect for what have already been done in the past,it's my netflix favourite this year.… Expand
  12. Tooth2k
    Jan 8, 2020
    10
    This is the most fun& original Dracula yet. The count is usually depicted as a self loathing creep, or a one dimensional caricature of ‘evil’. This guy really IS evil, revelling in his omnipotence& gloating over his victims& Literally chewing up the scenery. Great job, BBC& Netflix!
  13. Qtips93
    Jan 9, 2020
    10
    Amazing show, even though it seems like it’s over I still have my fingers crossed for season 2
  14. Gwz
    Jan 24, 2020
    7
    I do like this Dracula. He's not a sexy vampire but a monster with little to no regards to his prey. I'm fine with the new twists in the story, and the Van Helsing character is great. I'm not even going to give episode 3 some flack like everybody else. It was flawed sure, but interesting. It's a retelling in the same vein as BBC Sherlock (from the same pen, which shows). Let's just hopeI do like this Dracula. He's not a sexy vampire but a monster with little to no regards to his prey. I'm fine with the new twists in the story, and the Van Helsing character is great. I'm not even going to give episode 3 some flack like everybody else. It was flawed sure, but interesting. It's a retelling in the same vein as BBC Sherlock (from the same pen, which shows). Let's just hope there is no season 2, yeah?… Expand
  15. Bertaut1
    Jan 27, 2021
    8
    A sarcastic posthumanist Dracula won't be to everyone's taste, but I thoroughly enjoyed this unique take on the Count

    Adapted from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, and running a hefty 270 minutes (divided into three episodes of 90 minutes each), this series seeks to capture the tone of the novel, if not necessarily the plot. There are some problems, and fans of    A sarcastic posthumanist Dracula won't be to everyone's taste, but I thoroughly enjoyed this unique take on the Count

    Adapted from Bram Stoker's 1897 novel by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat, and running a hefty 270 minutes (divided into three episodes of 90 minutes each), this series seeks to capture the tone of the novel, if not necessarily the plot. There are some problems, and fans of the novel have taken especial (and not entirely unjustified) umbrage with the unexpected narrative shift in the last episode, but all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this version.

    Hungry, 1897; Jonathan Harker (John Heffernan), an English lawyer sent to Transylvania some months prior, is physically deformed and mentally fragile, and is staying at a small convent. Having written an account of his experiences, Harker is interviewed by the acerbic Sister Agatha (a superb Dolly Wells), who is hoping he can fill in some of the details he left absent from his document. And so he tells how he came to Transylvania to meet the elderly Count Dracula (an exceptional Claes Bang), and of the subsequent horrors he experienced.

    Whereas the novel begins just before Harker arrives at Castle Dracula, the show begins with him already in a nunnery in Hungry, having fled the castle, and the novel's multi-perspective epistolary narrative is replaced with a more basic single-character flashback-style narration. Opening this way is a wise move, as it alerts the audience that this isn't a 1:1 adaptation.

    Each episode looks and feels substantially different from the other two; the first is a basic gothic horror full of deep shadows, huge towers, labyrinthine interiors, and ominous opulence; the second is a ship-based murder-mystery (except, of course, we all know who the killer); and the third is a gaudy, postmodernist-infused examination of youthful vapidity, corporate greed, and the all-conquering power of superficiality. Arwen Jones's production design across all three episodes is also stunning; from the twisting staircases and dead-end tunnels of Castle Dracula to the weather-beaten Demeter (the doomed ship in the second episode) to Dracula's residence in the third episode, everything on screen seems completely real and lived in.

    And there are also some extraordinary visual moments here. A close-up of a fly crawling on an eyeball, for example, which then crawls behind the eyeball is particularly disturbing, as is a scene where Dracula literally climbs out of a wolf. The exterior shots of Castle Dracula are also amazing, and why wouldn't they be as the show uses the incredible Orava Castle in Slovakia, which was also used for Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922).

    The acting is also terrific, particularly Bang as the sarcastic Count and Wells as perhaps the most irreverent nun ever committed to screen. Much of the strength of their performances comes in how well they handle the dry humour. So, for example, when the convent is surrounded by bats, and Agatha is asked "why would the forces of darkness wish to attack a convent", she replies (completely deadpan), "perhaps they're sensitive to criticism." Later, explaining to Harker how he has had artists paint the sun for him, he then says, "And Mozart wrote such a pretty little tune", before mumbling to himself, "I really should have spared him". The nonchalant way Bang delivers the line is hilarious. As the show goes on, Bang gets to show more of his range, bringing out not just Dracula's confidence and sarcasm, but so too his pride, frustration, boredom, and fears, culminating in an exceptional final scene, with Bang doing some wonderful silent acting.

    Thematically, the show deconstructs much traditional vampire lore, particularly the power of crucifixes; why would Dracula fear the cross when he doesn't believe in God? Along the same lines, his immortality is examined in light of the boredom that it must entail. Similar deconstruction of his need for blood sees it presented more like an addiction than a necessity.

    As for problems, many viewers despised the last episode, and I can see why (although I loved it), as it takes things in a new, unexpected direction that asks more than a little leap of faith from the audience. Certainly, if the first two episodes form a broadly coherent unit, the third disrupts everything, and is thematically, aesthetically, and tonally divorced from its predecessors. Some of the humour in this episode also pushes things a little too far. I'm also not sure the show needed to be as long as it is; three 60 minute episodes probably would have sufficed.

    That aside though, I loved this adaptation, which captures much of the tonal qualities of the original very well. It deviates wildly from the book, but featuring a suitably posthumanist Dracula for our jaded times, Gatiss and Moffat may not have pleased traditionalists, but this is a fine attempt to bring Dracula into the 21st century without ever losing sight of his origins and raison d'être.    … Expand
  16. Gamexss
    Feb 15, 2020
    10
    Bayıldım!!!
    Harika bir dizi yeni sezon mutlaka gelmesi gerekiyor dört gözle bekliyorum
  17. AymanI
    Jan 12, 2020
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Excellent two-part series that has tantalizing stories with a dark and gruesome lead actor. Third episode fails in fitting Dracula in the modern world and suffers an end which leaves a lingering bad taste on the episode, and for some the series.… Expand
  18. Gondar
    Jan 6, 2020
    8
    Lots of fun if you're willing to hang in for the 4 1/2 hours of all three episodes. Much of the writing and story is marvelous and sure to please Sherlock fans. Unfortunately there are spots of inconsistency and difficult to follow bits. Of course, this could just be an excuse to re-watch it!
  19. Porandori
    Jan 11, 2020
    8
    I think that you are too critical of this series ... everyone has a subjective idea of what to look like and this is great because it means that we are different and we have something to offer someone. This series was the vision of a person who wrote the book. I think that against the background of everything you watch it was not bad ... it was interesting and intriguing what would happenI think that you are too critical of this series ... everyone has a subjective idea of what to look like and this is great because it means that we are different and we have something to offer someone. This series was the vision of a person who wrote the book. I think that against the background of everything you watch it was not bad ... it was interesting and intriguing what would happen next and despite the fact that I feel unsatisfied, I generally think that this is a good story.… Expand
  20. HipSGuinness
    Feb 3, 2020
    8
    A very nice and interesting renew for the old vampir.
    Story are strange but It's a refresh and the End is interesting.

    For the realisation, It's a match : cool, strange or soft.
  21. DanteAsturo
    Feb 5, 2020
    8
    Es una serie con una premisa bastante interesante y adaptada de una manera bastante apropiada la mitología y el lord de los vampiros.
  22. Redphone
    Mar 23, 2020
    7
    While the last episode is disjointed from the others and I really wish they had kept one time period, you can’t go wrong with a classic Dracula story. The female lead was great and the effects, wardrobes, and backgrounds were fantastic and I’m glad they kept Dracula villainous since making them overly sympathetic seems to be the modern trend. Shame I do not think there will be another season.
  23. Diptanshu
    Apr 24, 2020
    8
    entertaining series!great acting specially the dracula he's portrayal was perfect!music was great!1st episode was terrifying and nice start to series the nun's gathering scene the wolf teared and dracula arrives the story telling of bride to be it was entertaining 1st episode!then 2nd episode felt like who's the murderer quiz type the voyage to england with chess game storytelling amazingentertaining series!great acting specially the dracula he's portrayal was perfect!music was great!1st episode was terrifying and nice start to series the nun's gathering scene the wolf teared and dracula arrives the story telling of bride to be it was entertaining 1st episode!then 2nd episode felt like who's the murderer quiz type the voyage to england with chess game storytelling amazing the ending was shock as sudden change to timeline felt wow!then 4rd episode at start was ok but then the mobile the lab/cell thing felt like a vampire spoof and whole lucy thing was way too much terrible it felt stretched but the beautiful colors and scenes were engaging to watch and then the ending it was amazing the weakness of dracula and sacrifice was great!overall entertaining series!… Expand
  24. geewah
    Jan 21, 2021
    7
    A fresh and different spin on one of entertainment's more revered villans.
    The 3 part show is letdown by the final instalment though which is a shame for this intelligent re-telling.
  25. DuduzinhoDoMau
    Sep 3, 2021
    10
    Muito daora vê uma obra baseada em um livro antigo. acho que é uma releitura, mas sem duvida não é ruim

Awards & Rankings

68
#68 Best TV Season of 2020
2
#2 Most Discussed TV Season of 2020
8
#8 Most Shared TV Season of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
  1. Salon
    Reviewed by: Melanie McFarland
    Jan 6, 2020
    40
    To call his retelling tedious is understating the problem. ... Laggardly scripting also obscures performances that might otherwise win over the audience. ... [Dolly] Wells’ Agatha is the first episode's saving grace. She gets some of the funniest lines and delivers them with a dry, peppery mien that gives one hope that she’ll survive.
    Read full review
  2. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Tim Surette
    Jan 6, 2020
    50
    It's a shame that the season finale is awful, because the first episode of Dracula is fanf---ingtastic.
    Read full review
  3. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Brian Tallerico
    Jan 6, 2020
    80
    Parts of the premiere's first half are a bit slow and some of the script’s attempts at humor and modern dialogue feel off in terms of tone, but the action really kicks in for the final half-hour in a way that makes it almost impossible for you not to watch another.
    Read full review
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