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

Review this tv show

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling

User Reviews

view
per page
  1. 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
  2. MattBrady99
    Feb 21, 2021
    4
    Maybe the real Dracula is the friends we made along the way.

    For a show that started off so promising but got so terrible as it went along. Thanks Steven Moffat.

    However, I got to say that the actor who played Dracula, Claes Bang, did a great job, even though his Dracula is basically Benedict Cumberbatch 'Sherlock'.
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. danszthedude
    Jul 7, 2020
    4
    First 2 episodes are great, but the last...
    FYI - that woman in episode 3 is freaking ugly...
  6. Malwark
    May 5, 2020
    2
    The show is ridden with plot holes, poor character development, forced diversity and just stupid desicions that degraded the whole experience. The actor that plays Dracula is doing a terrific job while the other actors are mediocre at best. The first episode is fantastic in terms of visuals, but even that falls flat in episode 2 and commits suicide on the 3rd.It could have been great butThe show is ridden with plot holes, poor character development, forced diversity and just stupid desicions that degraded the whole experience. The actor that plays Dracula is doing a terrific job while the other actors are mediocre at best. The first episode is fantastic in terms of visuals, but even that falls flat in episode 2 and commits suicide on the 3rd.It could have been great but it is sadly a major insult to the book written by Bram Stoker. There are other adaptions that succed better than this piece of garbage. It does not deserve the ridicously high scores it has sadly recieved.… Expand
  7. Rick444
    May 2, 2020
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Episode 1 despite authors obsession with mentioning homosexual sex, constantly pointing out that the cross has no power and embarrassing kinda 'dance off' like scene between the sisters and dracula, the episode ends up exceeding low expectations with good acting, good pacing and surprisingly decent action.

    Episode 2 starts drifting away with slow pace into nowhere and... Episode 3 just gets nowhere and is entirely skippable due to total boredom and irrelevance. Ah yes modern England modern England... Who cares? I already watched Sherlock Holmes and even that was not that great show    … Expand
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. ThiagoSimoes
    Mar 19, 2020
    0
    Terrible. From the very beginning nothing makes sense and it only gets worse.
  11. Gamexss
    Feb 15, 2020
    10
    Bayıldım!!!
    Harika bir dizi yeni sezon mutlaka gelmesi gerekiyor dört gözle bekliyorum
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. foxgrove
    Feb 2, 2020
    3
    The main problem with this Dracula is that each episode is of a wildly differing quality. Episode 1 is the best but things go down hill from here. Episode 3 is just a crashing bore and not even the charisma from lead actor, Claes Bang, can save it. Some invention, but overall forgettable.
  15. 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
  16. Voodoo123
    Jan 14, 2020
    6
    Tonally bbcs Dracula 2020 doesn't ever quite know what genre it is or wants to be flirting with ideas of longevity, hunger and fear without taking the time to discuss them using it's medium to the fullest. There is some decent cinematography and notable practical effects but these aren't enough to create any tension within the oddly modern screenplay. The cast are excellent but theTonally bbcs Dracula 2020 doesn't ever quite know what genre it is or wants to be flirting with ideas of longevity, hunger and fear without taking the time to discuss them using it's medium to the fullest. There is some decent cinematography and notable practical effects but these aren't enough to create any tension within the oddly modern screenplay. The cast are excellent but the screenplay ultimately fails to connect with the material or the setting in a meaningful way.… Expand
  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. SeussMyTub
    Jan 12, 2020
    2
    Boy, this was a three part limited series, and it went from a promising first episode to a complete crapfest by the third. Ugh, so utterly disappointing. What could have been a good classic tale of Gothic horror comes totally undone by the final act. It's like two different TV shows were mashed together halfway. What a waste.
  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. steveyme
    Jan 10, 2020
    6
    Painfully politically correct, modern accents in olden times, and in parts incredibly slow. Eps 1+2 were poor, but Episode 3 is flat out unwatchable.
  21. Qtips93
    Jan 9, 2020
    10
    Amazing show, even though it seems like it’s over I still have my fingers crossed for season 2
  22. Yourmumsbills
    Jan 9, 2020
    0
    I had high hope for this, based on the writers previous work. But sadly this was awful. I'm not sure if this was supposed to be comedic or serious? the writing is all over the place, the acting (from a mostly very talented cast) is really bad and most importantly the main character of Dracula is just ridiculous. I really wish they'd just written some more Sherlock instead of this terrible cr*p.
  23. 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
  24. silverseb
    Jan 8, 2020
    2
    This is one the stupidiest adaptation of Dracula that i've evere seen.
    The ending is so stupid it is hard for me to express
    A waste of time for the people and a waste of money for BBC
  25. 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!
  26. Yurchik
    Jan 7, 2020
    0
    Van Helsing is a woman... This is a new trend!? Do the main characters is female!? Or I don't understand something!?
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. notor12
    Jan 6, 2020
    6
    Many of these reviewers obviously never watched beyond the first episode. The first episode is indeed pretty decent but things get very dumb very fast after that. This certainly does not deserve a 90 critic score. A 75 is an appropriate score in my opinion, at best.

    It is fairly average netflix fare overall and the main problem is Dracula's constant smarminess really robs it of any    Many of these reviewers obviously never watched beyond the first episode. The first episode is indeed pretty decent but things get very dumb very fast after that. This certainly does not deserve a 90 critic score. A 75 is an appropriate score in my opinion, at best.

    It is fairly average netflix fare overall and the main problem is Dracula's constant smarminess really robs it of any terror or horror element as time goes on. The mix of horror and smarm here just doesnt work. His whole bit wears thin quickly then he's just annoying and unlikeable but not scary or menacing anymore. Considering the show completely revolves around him that is a major problem. Sam Raimi and Jordan Peele can pull off horror comedy but these writers definitely cannot.

    Also the general turn of the story after episode 2 just gets really gimmicky and stupid and the editing and storytelling turns nonsensical for no seemingly good reason. It is almost like entire episodes were cut out. I had to double check the order i watched them in because i thought i must have accidentally skipped an episode or three but nope, just the writers being dumb.

    The writers got off to a good start but instead of staying in the contained interesting world they staked out in the first episode to flesh out these people and characters and background they tried to do too much and in my opinion they totally blew it from there on.    … Expand
  30. GalvatronType_R
    Jan 6, 2020
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A great show that is completely undone by its abysmal third act.

    First, the good. Claes Bang is superb as the Count. Silky, seductive, malevolent, and surprisingly funny. The costumes, sets, and overall production value are off the charts. The dialogue is exquisite, almost Tarantino level good.

    Now the bad. Transporting the Count and the story forward to the 21st century was a grave mistake (see what I did there?). This twist completely abandoned the characters and setup from 1897 in favor of introducing vapid, unlikeable, couldn’t care less about them badly written modern characters. I actually laughed every time Dracula slaughtered these sheep. What a terrible disastrous move the third act is.

    On a side note, this show is incredible in Dolby Vision with Dolby Atmos audio. Do yourselves a favor and watch and listen to this show on a 4K stream.    … Expand
prev
Page:

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
See all critic reviews »