Dracula, Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, endures as a towering monument of gothic literature, its shadow stretching across centuries and cultures. With a mesmerizing blend of horror, sensuality, and dark romanticism, the Count has seduced generations of readers and filmmakers alike, from F.W. Murnau’s silent nightmare Nosferatu (1922) to Bela Lugosi’s haunting gaze in Dracula (1931).

Christopher Lee starred in Hammer’s Dracula movies, his sanguine presence on full display in ten films, cementing the Count’s cinematic immortality. Later, Francis Ford Coppola’s opulent 1992 adaptation draped the tale in velvet and tragedy. More recently, Robert Eggers breathed eerie life into the legend with a new Nosferatu. Each adaptation reflects each era’s fears and fascinations, but the Count’s hypnotic pull remains undiminished.

However, not all Dracula adaptations are kissed by moonlight, and in fact, there is a new movie coming out that is drawing the ire of critics.

Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story Debuts With Disappointing Rotten Tomatoes Score

It Stars Bosch Actor тιтus Welliver

Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story has debuted with a disappointing Rotten Tomatoes score. Directed by Natasha Kermani and based on the short story by Joe Hill, the horror movie stars Bosch actor тιтus Welliver as Abraham Van Helsing, who moves his two boys to the United States in an attempt to escape their past. The cast also includes Jocelin Donahue, Judah Mackey, Aurora Perrineau, and Brady Hepner.

Now, a day before its release, Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story has debuted with a disappointing 42% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie only has 12 reviews at the time of writing, so its score could fluctuate as more are published. It doesn’t yet have an audience score, though one will begin to take shape once it releases in theaters.

What Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Means For The Movie

What Are The Reviews Saying?

The film’s Rotten Tomatoes score means that its reviews are mostly negative. For instance, in ScreenRant‘s Abraham’s Boys: A Dracula Story review, Ben Sherlock writes, “I could count the number of genuine scares in this underwhelming vampire western on one hand… Abraham’s Boys has a great premise, a chilling score, and an old-school visual style, but it’s all wasted on a slow, boring film with very few scares.”

Critics claim Abraham’s Boys struggles to live up to its intriguing concept, weighed down by sluggish pacing, shallow exploration, and an overall sense of lifelessness. Despite some atmospheric flourishes and a moody tone, many critics found it tedious, uninspired, and narratively limp. The movie often meanders, failing to generate meaningful suspense or delve deeply into its themes.

While a few critics admire its visual style and appreciate director Natasha Kermani’s attempt at genre reinvention, most agree that the story lacks momentum and emotional impact. Its chilling premise is largely wasted, with the execution coming off as lethargic and dull. Occasional moments of intensity arrive too late to redeem the overall sense of disappointment.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes