Name: Dracula: The Original Living Vampire
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Thriller
Released: 2022-01-28T00:00:00+00:00
Cast: Michael Ironside, Jake Herbert, Christine Prouty, India Lillie Davies, Ryan Woodcock

The blood-soaked streets of London in Dracula: The Original Living Vampire are slick with rain and dread, Detective Amelia Van Helsing’s boots splashing through the gore as she hunts a killer who leaves his victims drained of life. This 2022 Asylum production, directed by Maximilian Elfeldt, is a gothic vampire tale wrapped in the trappings of a police procedural—a hybrid that could have been fascinating but ultimately falters under its own ambitions.

What works here is the sheer audacity of the premise: a modernized retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic through the lens of a gritty detective story. Christine Prouty’s Amelia Van Helsing is the standout, her performance a blend of steely determination and vulnerable humanity that anchors the film. Her scenes with Jake Herbert’s Dracula crackle with an unexpected chemistry, the count less a monstrous villain and more a tragic figure, his immortality a curse rather than a gift.

The film’s production design is notably strong, particularly in the shadow-drenched interiors of Carfax Abbey. The gothic architecture looms large, its decaying grandeur a perfect metaphor for Dracula’s own fading power. The practical effects used for the vampire’s transformations are also commendable, adding a tactile horror often missing from digital-heavy modern films.

However, the script stumbles in its execution. The procedural elements feel tacked on at times, with the detective work often taking precedence over the supernatural mystery. The pacing is uneven, rushing through key moments of character development while lingering too long on underwhelming action sequences. Ryan Woodcock’s Jonathan Harker, for instance, is given little to do beyond being a damsel in distress, his potential as a narrative foil wasted.

The film’s most glaring issue is its tone. It struggles to balance the gothic horror of its source material with the modern sensibilities of its detective story. The result is a film that often feels like two separate movies stitched together—one a brooding vampire tale, the other a gritty crime drama. This tonal whiplash undermines the emotional beats, leaving the audience unsure whether to be scared, suspenseful, or invested in the characters’ fates.

Yet, despite these flaws, Dracula: The Original Living Vampire has moments of genuine brilliance. The final showdown between Van Helsing and Dracula is a standout, a visceral, emotionally charged climax that makes sense of the film’s disjointed narrative. Here, the film finds its footing, delivering on the promise of its unique premise.

In the end, Dracula: The Original Living Vampire is a flawed but intriguing experiment—a film that takes risks but doesn’t always stick the landing.

Tags: horror, Christine Prouty, Dracula: The Original Living Vampire, Jake Herbert, Maximilian Elfeldt, Michael Ironside