User Reviews

Cushing as Van Helsing and Lee as Dracula is a match made in heaven, Both elevating the movie above what it should have been. You can't help but be drawn by the coolness of Lee's Dracula while also rooting for Cushing's Van Helsing to succeed in defeating the titular character once and for all. The only thing stopping it from being great is that even with a short runtime, It still feels drawn out at times. The story just doesn't have enough depth and comes off as incredibly padded, especially in the second half. It's still a tolerable movie but it could have been a lot better.

I saw this not only because of the brilliant story but also because of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, two of the best actors I know. And I was not disappointed at all, in fact although I do have respect for the 1931 film and like the 1992 film this 1958 Dracula is the best version. It has atmospheric lighting and cinematography and the costumes and sets are wonderful colourful. The score is also very haunting while never becoming too grandiose, the script is not stilted and flows well and the story apart from the odd slow moment draws you in and does a good job condensing the source material. It is beautifully directed by Terrence Fisher, and there is some very good, great even from some, acting. Jonathan, Mina and Lucy are believable and written in a convincing manner. But this Dracula will be remembered by me for two performances. One is Peter Cushing, who is the ideal Van Helsing, his interpretation is eccentric yet done with charm and grace too, no over-theatricality in sight. The other, and this is my personal favourite, is Christopher Lee as Dracula, who manages to not only be terrifying but also sensual, although I like Lugosi and Oldman a lot in the roles Lee for me of the Draculas is the only one to capture BOTH these qualities. All in all, in my opinion because of the production values, atmosphere, Cushing and especially Lee, this Dracula is the best one. 10/10 Bethany Cox