DRACULA (2020)

 "YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT!" 

It just goes to show you, no matter how old and familiar the subject matter, there's eventually someone who comes along to give it new life.  Raise it from the dead, in other words.  Such is the 2020 BBC production of DRACULA from executive producers Sue Vertue, Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffatt;

the same team that brought us the revival of SHERLOCK.  Of course, SHERLOCK series 3 was a dumpster fire but they got themselves together to finish out the programme.  And here, the team is on top form again.  Done with a lot of wit, the three-part DRACULA is still based pretty much on the Bram Stoker novel but with changes which are interesting, fresh and really work (much in the same way their SHERLOCK update worked).  And yes, while the first two parts take place back in the time of Stoker's original novel, part three does indeed rocket us forward to the current day.  Apparently, some viewers were shocked and dismayed at this sudden change of venue and, while loving the first two parts, griped about part three's modern setting.  I think whether or not that bothers you is an individual reaction.  However, forewarning may take some of the sting out of it as you'll be expecting it.  This old warhorse that everyone is overly familiar with is actually fresh, surprising and a treat to watch as a new interpretation of the Bram Stoker story.

Jonathan Harker (John Heffernan) is a lawyer who once again travels to Transylvania to meet with Count Dracula (Claes Bang) about the purchase of Carfax Abbey.  Harker once again is left to wait for the Count's coach by a jittery driver and, once again, is picked up by a coach driver whom we can assume is Dracula himself (all we see of his face is a shot of his glittering eyes peering out of the darkness).  In Castle Dracula, Harker encounters an elderly, heavily-accented Dracula who offers him food and drink, smashes Harker's mirror and gets all squirrelly when Harker cuts himself.  There's even the baby in the bundle.  But all this, though familiar to anyone who has read the book or seen any of the countless film adaptations, is done in such a way as to seem interesting and new.  Most of this is due to Claes Bang's irreverant portrayal of the Count; not a comic one but a performance which shows that not only does Dracula have contempt for the human race but also thoroughly enjoys being a vampire!  Bang straddles right up to the line but never crosses over into parody or camp.  Heffernan as Harker is, by contrast, achingly doomed no matter how much he tries to free himself from his inprisonment in Dracula's castle.  In fact, part one starts with a terribly deformed and ghastly Harker in a convent being interviewed by Sister Agatha (Dolly Wells) who is trying to get to the bottom of what happened to Harker and how he managed to still be alive after his encounter with the prince of vampires. 

Wells' performance as Agatha is a sheer delight and her line readings are always wonderfully unexpected.  Also in the convent is the Mother Superior played by THE THICK OF IT's Joanna Scanlon.  And Mina Murray is played by Morfydd Clark as a no-nonsense, "modern woman" of the time.  In a letter to her fiancé Jonathan (which Harker reads on his carriage-ride to the castle) is playful and funny as she tells Jonathan that, if he happens to stray before they are married she will understand and marry him anyway -- but just remember that she is surrounded by a bunch of eligible men (and even one woman that has taken her fancy) which she will also be free to 'sample' before the couple get hitched.  Jonathan gets a big kick out of the letter and we immediately like this couple more than practically any other Dracula film depiction of them.    Part One (superbly directed by Jonny Campbell) mainly concerns Harker's travails inside Dracula's castle (in flashback) as well as Harker's interview in the convent with Sister Agatha.    Of course, Dracula eventually shows up at the convent but is held at bay by Sister Agatha and the stake-wielding nuns who know full well he cannot enter without being invited inside.  Naturally, I'm not gonna go into any more detail since I don't want to spoil any of the surprises in store.  Part Two shows us the sea voyage on board the Demeter (and is much more enjoyable than the very disappointing LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER). 

Seriously, this episode is what THAT movie should've been.  Directed by Damon Thomas in the vein (yeah, pun was intended) of Agatha Christie's AND THEN THERE WERE NONE shows the Demeter crew and passengers as fully-rounded characters all of whom we care about and are interested in.  This is also down to the wonderful writing of Gatiss & Moffatt as well as the flawless performances of all the actors.  That's what this -- what??? -- three episode mini-series (where each episode is feature length!) has really going for it; besides the superb writing and direction, every single actor in it is excellent.  From the smallest character role to the topper-most of the popper-most, the embarrassing wealth of acting talent in the U.K. is on full display.  Every crew member/passenger  on the Demeter is finely drawn and beautifully played.  And a treat for us genre fans is also the appearance of old AND new favourite actors:  new in the form of Sacha Dhawan (current Master in DOCTOR WHO) as scientific Dr. Sharma and the magnificent Catherine Schell (SPACE:1999 and the classic DOCTOR WHO story CITY OF DEATH) as the elderly Duchess Valeria. 

Fan service is also given by the presence of Lord Ruthven and his wife; a nod to the John Polidori vampire but not the same character AT ALL!  Amongst the crew, I must make special mention of the quasi-comedy team of Samuel Blenkin and Youssef Kerkour and tyro cabin boy Piotr (actually Marius masquerading as his brother Piotr) and hook-handed cook Olgaren.  Inexperienced Piotr is initially an annoyance to Olgaren but soon the cook warms to the lad; especially after Piotr keeps telling him that everything "needs paprika".  As each member of the cast gets offed one by one by ole Drac, the characters constantly search the ship and try to figure out who the murderer is among them.  But frankly, they can be excused from even suspecting Count Dracula since he's so charming and nonchalant that I wouldn't have suspected him either -- until it was much too late.  As I mentioned already, the third and final episode takes place in the present day and how we got there and why will have to remain for you to go and watch for yourself as I'm not throwing any spoilers about it here.  Needless to say, this adaptation of DRACULA is pretty fantastic and will be joining my frequent rewatch schedule ESPECIALLY for the month of October.  Gatiss and Moffatt . . . you have redeemed yourself for SHERLOCK series 3.