Radu Jude's DRACULA

From the tale of two exploited performers running away from their bawdy, no-budget Transylvania tourist-trap vampire dinner theater to retellings of classic Romanian tales to a modern-day saga of Vlad the Impaler as a techno-fascist, no story is too grandiose (or too raunchy) for this cast and crew to tell in their scrappy, yet earnest style.

The controversial use of AI technology, including fully AI-generated shots or segments, is intentionally juxtaposed against the sincerity of microbudget filmmaking and its ability to connect emotionally with the audience, ultimately painting the sterile, often nonsensical, output of the technology as the true soul-sucking villain.

Intentionally overly ambitious, but always heartfelt and sincere, Radu Jude and his cast and crew have created a hilarious, often smutty, genre-spanning comedy. The interwoven stories give as much life as the antagonists purport to suck from their victims—leaving you with a belly aching from laughter and a smile that won’t be denied (much like the actors in some scenes).

Directed by Radu Jude