UPDATE: Radu Jude’s highly anticipated film, ‘Dracula’, is set to hit theaters on October 29, 2025, and it promises to turn the iconic vampire legend on its head. This film emerges as the first Dracula feature from Romania, aiming to reclaim the narrative from Hollywood’s over-commercialized portrayals by diving deep into Romania’s cultural and historical context.
New reports confirm that Jude’s ambitious project is not your typical horror film. Instead, it’s a provocative mix of comedy and political commentary, spanning nearly three hours and offering a chaotic deconstruction of the Dracula mythos. Jude’s film presents a Romanian filmmaker who consults an AI to create the most appealing version of Dracula, leading to a series of bizarre and comedic vignettes that expose the absurdities of contemporary Romanian society.
This urgent cinematic experiment delves into topics such as labor exploitation and societal unrest. In one shocking segment, modern-day performers engage in a satirical portrayal of an angry-villager chase, while another features a gamer sweatshop staging a strike against a tyrannical manager, humorously depicted as Dracula himself. The film’s audacity is underscored by its use of AI-generated imagery, some of which are explicit, amplifying the narrative’s subtext of parasitic relationships within society.
Despite mixed reviews from initial festival screenings, with critics labeling it a “troll job,” Jude insists that his work carries earnest intentions. The film reflects the current political climate in Romania, where far-right ideologies are gaining traction, as evidenced by the election of Călin Georgescu, whose victory was mired in controversy and unrest.
In an exclusive interview with DECIDER, Jude emphasized the importance of using humor and vulgarity as tools for political commentary. He stated, “Now is the ideal moment for this brand of blithe, knowing, happily idiotic nose-thumbing.” His film challenges the authoritarian norms that seek to suppress creativity and expression.
As Romania faces significant societal challenges, Jude’s ‘Dracula’ emerges as a bold statement, blending humor with serious political discourse. Its release is expected to spark conversations about the role of art in reflecting and critiquing the social landscape.
The film’s mix of irreverence and substance positions it as a unique entry in the cinematic world, one that is likely to resonate with audiences both in Romania and internationally. As Jude himself noted, “We’re just waiting for the right moment now, and hoping” for change in a turbulent political landscape.
With its theatrical release just around the corner, the world is watching to see how ‘Dracula’ will redefine the narrative surrounding one of literature’s most famous characters. For more details on screenings, visit the film’s official website.
Stay tuned for further updates as this story develops.
