The Dracula TV Show Stephen King Called 'Bloody Terrific' Is Streaming On Netflix

If there's one author who knows about terror, it's Stephen King. Half his library has been adapted as a movie or TV series, or, in the case of shows like "IT: Welcome to Derry," have spawned totally original stories. It's an exceptional compliment, then, when one of the greatest authors of our time praises a show for doing what feels almost unthinkable: giving him the chills. 

Back in 2020, one such show available on Netflix caught King's eye from across the pond, and honestly, it shouldn't have surprised anyone, given the creative forces behind it. After updating a legendary London detective for the modern era with "Sherlock," co-writers Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat applied the same process to one of literary history's greatest horror characters. "Dracula" was a three-part British mini-series that brought the Transylvanian Count (Claes Bang, who'd become equally villainous in Apple TV's Irish dark comedy, "Bad Sisters") and his legend into the modern era, with a secret organization led by Dr. Zoe Van Helsing, a descendant of Sister Agatha Van Helsing (both played by Dolly Wells), trying to understand the immortal bloodsucker. 

King posted on X that "The BBC incarnation of 'DRACULA' (Netflix) is smart, involving, and bloody terrific. Which is to say it's terrific and VERY bloody." But what made this sharp-witted, toothy take on Bram Stoker's undead menace work so brilliantly? Much of that praise goes to the man behind the monster, who, quite frankly, was dead and loving it.  

Just as Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman made masterful casting choices as Sherlock Holmes and John Watson (with Andrew Scott criminally underused as James Moriarty), the same standard needed to be met when casting the Count with a penchant for the red stuff. For that role, Claes Bang got the job, and his career exploded after he bared his teeth for the show.

As any iteration of Dracula demands, Bang gave a charming and equally chilling take on the Count, chewing through every scene in a cleverly constructed run-through of Stoker's classic story, with crafty adjustments to some of its crucial beats.

The first episode begins with Jonathan Harker (John Heffernan) being interviewed by Sister Van Helsing, who recalls his doomed business trip to Transylvania and his introduction to his ancient client. From there, the story shifts from the classic formula of a love story across the ages to something more akin to "The Silence of the Lambs." Wells' Van Helsing feels like a smart, seasoned Clarice Starling, trying to understand a Dr. Hannibal that won't die and the fears that might lead to his destruction. It's a thrilling new angle to apply to a century-old story, but what did the critics say about it when it was released?

Following its release, Dracula earned 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, not a bad score for the review aggregator. But while Bang's brilliant turn as the toothy foe was a highlight, some argued that even he couldn't lift the show above its starting point. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian called the show "a bloodstained love letter to a classic, beautifully and delicately scented with just the faintest hint of ham gothic yarns need; a homage to all the great Counts who have gone before, but still entirely its own thing." Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com praised the show's lead, saying, "Bang deftly sells this intelligent take on the legend."

Some critics weren't so easily charmed by the modern take on the monster, though, with The Independent's Ed Cumming saying that "this new version by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss is a loving tribute to the Hammer Horror kind of Dracula, which keeps the novel's more macabre attractions, adds fresh wit and energy, and only occasionally drags." 

Just like the man himself, not everyone took to the Count as well as others, but that doesn't mean that it still isn't worth a look. With spooky season halfway through October, do yourself a favor: queue up movies like "30 Days of Night" and "Daybreakers" and then take a bite out of BBC's "Dracula," too.