Winona Ryder, Sadie Frost, 1992
Francis Ford Coppola isn’t known as a horror director, but that hasn’t stopped him from playing in the genre. The director of The Godfather and Apocalypse Now got his start with films like Dementia 13, and as recently as 2011, he returned to horror with Twixt.
But Coppola also directed one of the greatest vampire films ever made—a lavish and seductive production powered by practical effects, stellar performances, and magnificent costumes. It’s an essential watch for horror fans every Halloween season, and it’s back on Netflix to stream right now.
Bram Stoker’s Dracula arrived at a time when Coppola was struggling both professionally and financially. His attempts to create a self-sustaining movie studio in the 1980s had failed, he’d developed a reputation for going over budget and behind schedule, and word around Hollywood was that this new project was destined to be another boondoggle.
But Coppola wasn’t content to play it safe. Working with an extraordinary team—including his son Roman on visual effects and costume designer Eiko Ishioka—he envisioned a sexually charged, brutally violent, and visually daring version of Dracula, led by Gary Oldman in the title role. Nearly every major effect in the film, from creatures to optical illusions, was executed practically, with Coppola prioritizing emotional impact over realism.
The result was a runaway hit for Columbia Pictures and one of the most successful films of 1992. Bram Stoker’s Dracula reversed Coppola’s fortunes and allowed him to continue taking creative risks—a spirit that persists today with projects like Megalopolis. Though his legacy as a master filmmaker was secured in the 1970s, the 1980s and 1990s were a period of tremendous creative and personal risk, and Dracula stands as the defining triumph of that era. It’s also a personal favorite of horror filmmakers like Guillermo del Toro, who has called it “beautiful” and “sensuous.”
It’s worth noting, however, that Coppola’s relationship with the horror community hasn’t always been without controversy. In 2022, Dread Central released Jeepers Creepers Unseen, an investigative podcast series examining the crimes and career of convicted sex offender and filmmaker Victor Salva. Coppola’s past support for Salva—including producing the Jeepers Creepers films under his American Zoetrope banner—is a notable part of that story.
Even so, Bram Stoker’s Dracula remains one of the greatest Dracula adaptations—and one of the best vampire films—ever made. The cast is exceptional, the production design is stunning, and it features my personal favorite onscreen Van Helsing: the great Anthony Hopkins. The film is now streaming on Netflix once again, just in time for Halloween viewing.
Categorized: News
