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Dracula

Play trailer Poster for Dracula Released Feb 12, 1931 1h 15m Horror Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
The dashing, mysterious Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), after hypnotizing a British soldier, Renfield (Dwight Frye), into his mindless slave, travels to London and takes up residence in an old castle. Soon Dracula begins to wreak havoc, sucking the blood of young women and turning them into vampires. When he sets his sights on Mina (Helen Chandler), the daughter of a prominent doctor, vampire-hunter Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) is enlisted to put a stop to the count's never-ending bloodlust.
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Dracula

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Critics Consensus

Bela Lugosi's timeless portrayal of Dracula in this creepy and atmospheric 1931 film has set the standard for major vampiric roles since.

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Critics Reviews

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TIME Magazine An exciting melodrama, not as good as it ought to be but a cut above the ordinary trapdoor-and-winding-sheet type of mystery film. Oct 15, 2008 Full Review Variety Staff Variety A sublimated ghost story related with all surface seriousness and above all with a remarkably effective background of creepy atmosphere. Oct 7, 2008 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader The opening scenes, set in Dracula's castle, are magnificent -- grave, stately, and severe. But the film becomes unbearably static once the action moves to England. Sep 25, 2007 Full Review Carson Timar ClapperCast Bela Lugosi is Dracula! What a strong start for the Universal Monsters! Oct 31, 2023 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand It may not be the definitive version, but it’s easily the most famous, a veritable cultural touchstone, and it was a smash... Oct 15, 2022 Full Review Stephanie Archer Film Inquiry As a whole, Dracula balances out as a brilliant classic of an early introduction to sound films and early horror inductions. Apr 17, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert Very cool to see a classic film on the big screen, hopefully they do this all the time with movies I never got to see in theaters Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/15/23 Full Review Shawan S Dracula (1931) is a classic film that shows us horror can be more than just jump scares or special effects. It can be a gradual journey through a misty hallway filled with dramatic acting and tense, quiet moments. So invite a friend, make some popcorn, and get ready for a night where the real fright might be wondering why you like it so much! This movie is a timeless work of art that deserves applause—or at least a thoughtful acknowledgment. Cheers to classic films! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/07/25 Full Review Audience Member Supero mis expectativas que eran negativas así que probablemente me gustó mucho más de lo que me hubiera gustado si hubiera tenido las expectativas como con todas las películas que veo. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/05/25 Full Review Omar G Dracula (1931). It was too silly, Renfield a fool before and after meeting Dracula. Edited to last 1:15 hr compared to the Spanish version that had more scenes like when they mention Lucy's death. Harker is so effeminate that he would be a cuckold. Mina is pretty but she is not so much with an odious personality. Lucy is less pretty, the girl who sold flowers was prettier, Lupita Tovar should have been Mina or Lucy. Here the death of Lucia the vampire was missing. The girls of the time were natural without rhinoplasty, implants, collagen in the lips, liposuction or botox. Dracula was stupid in both 1931 versions by Universal, Dracula should have killed Van Helsing. In these versions Harcker was very unmanly. Bram Stoker's Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi, this Comic is a better adaptation than the poorly adapted and poorly edited Dracula (1931) movie that lasts 1h 15 min from Universal, for example they don't show Lucy's death as a vampire, I insist. They have never made the greatest Dracula movie, they always stayed halfway, this Comic is better than those movies. Could the Universal executives use that Comic as a storyboard and make Bela Lugosi's face with cgi, to make a better movie. Or some fan make a fan movie with artificial intelligence when the technology is perfected and show it on YouTube. The best thing is the art drawing sexy women as Count Dracula's brides, when they try to seduce Jonathan Harker and above all the main point of this book which is to put Bela Lugosi's face on Dracula. The best thing about this movie would be the unconscious French maid on the floor and the madman approaches her, in the Spanish version he eats an insect. The most hateful was Van Helsing and Martin for being too clownish, although he says the best quote in the movie "everyone is crazy, except you and me and sometimes I have my doubts about you", the maid says "yes". Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/24/24 Full Review The Wandering D What a classic of the horror genre. An absolutely amazing film that surprisingly shows us so much without showing basically anything! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/13/24 Full Review Audience Member A very dated Movie. but it remains important for horror fans and film students in general. There are some good things about it of course. Bela Legosi is mesmerizing as Count Dracula and it's shot beautifully and has some remarkable set design. The writing, pacing and direction in general are all off though and the editing is abysmal. We can try to attribute that to it's age but "Frankenstein" came out the same year and still holds up as a classic film. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/28/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Dracula

Dracula: Official Clip - Rats, Rats, Rats! Dracula: Official Clip - Rats, Rats, Rats! 1:41 Dracula: Official Clip - Mina Attacks Jonathan Dracula: Official Clip - Mina Attacks Jonathan 3:15 Dracula: Official Clip - Dracula Kills Renfield Dracula: Official Clip - Dracula Kills Renfield 1:39 Dracula: Official Clip - Dracula Kidnaps Mina Dracula: Official Clip - Dracula Kidnaps Mina 1:28 Dracula: Official Clip - Dracula Kills Lucy Dracula: Official Clip - Dracula Kills Lucy 2:01 Dracula: Official Clip - I Never Drink... Wine Dracula: Official Clip - I Never Drink... Wine 1:19 Dracula: Official Clip - Dracula vs. Van Helsing Dracula: Official Clip - Dracula vs. Van Helsing 2:24 Dracula: Official Clip - The Last Voyage of the Vesta Dracula: Official Clip - The Last Voyage of the Vesta 2:53 Dracula: Official Clip - Dracula Meets Renfield Dracula: Official Clip - Dracula Meets Renfield 1:50 Dracula: Official Clip - Van Helsing Slays Dracula Dracula: Official Clip - Van Helsing Slays Dracula 2:23 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis The dashing, mysterious Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), after hypnotizing a British soldier, Renfield (Dwight Frye), into his mindless slave, travels to London and takes up residence in an old castle. Soon Dracula begins to wreak havoc, sucking the blood of young women and turning them into vampires. When he sets his sights on Mina (Helen Chandler), the daughter of a prominent doctor, vampire-hunter Van Helsing (Edward Van Sloan) is enlisted to put a stop to the count's never-ending bloodlust.
Director
Tod Browning
Producer
Tod Browning, Carl Laemmle Jr.
Screenwriter
John L. Balderston, Garrett Fort, Dudley Murphy, Bram Stoker
Distributor
Realart Pictures Inc., Universal Pictures, Screen Gems, Universal Home Entertainment, MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co
Universal Pictures
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 12, 1931, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 12, 2014
Runtime
1h 15m
Sound Mix
Mono
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