Dracula: the Musical is a 2010 Swedish adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic gothic horror novel. Although it borrows heavily from Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula, the writers actually bothered to do their research, filling the film with references and details that only a person who had read the novel could, and hired an actual vampirologist for advice. The most notable detail is that Lucy's mother is actually in the film for the very first time! A rather unusual step is that the entire musical is narrated by Mina who is having a Interview with the Vampire-esque interview with van Helsing's curious grand-nephew.
This film provides examples of:
- Adaptation Amalgamation: Though very loyal to the original novel, it borrows heavily from Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula movie.
- The Anti-God: Dracula boasts that he's the Anti-God.
- Arc Words: The blood is the life.
- Big "NO!": Dracula's reaction to Jonathan and Mina's wedding.
- Blood Lust: The vampires show this several times.
- Cassandra Truth: The peasants in Transylvania beg Jonathan not to go to the castle, but he does not listen.
- Chekhov's Gun: In the prologue Dracula is praying before a huge cross, throughout the rest of the musical it is always seen in the background. In the final battle, Jonathan flips it over Dracula to defeat him.
- Covers Always Lie: The poster seem to promise a modern day, tounge-in-check adaptation. Far from the truth.
- Crowd Song: There are two of these. First there is "Pokol" which is sung by the villigares to get Jonathan to stay with them instead of travel to Dracula's castle. The second song is sung by Londoners as Demeter arrives in London.
- Demoted to Extra: Averted actually! All of the characters are in the musical and are fleshed out. Mina is the one suffering from an underdeveloped realtionship with Dracula. Possibly intentional.
- Despair Event Horizon: The song line "God had left".
- Downer Ending: The Vampire Sisters (the Brides) seduce and feed off the wounded Quincey and the loose Seward. The Virgin Arthur is also seduced and van Helsing is broken by Dracula. Jonathan manages to defeat Dracula and forces Mina to stake Dracula. However since Mina has Dracula's blood in her veins, he becomes a part of her because she is the one to kill him. In present day Mina is still a vampire but has never actually feed on any one. Erik tries to perform a Van Helsing Hate Crime to avenge his grandfather's brother who ended up in an Mad House but is killed by Mina who sets out to begin her own reign of terror.
- Eats Babies: The vampire sisters and the vampirized Lucy.
- Evil Laugh: The musical ends with one.
- Evil Minions: Draculas has several.
- Fallen Hero:
- From the Christian perspective. Dracula was once a servant of the cross.
- Van Helsing is hinted at becoming one.
- A God Am I: Dracula declears himself to be the "Anti God".
- Hot as Hell: Those weird, demon-girl things that appear during the Vampire sisters' song.
- "I Am" Song: The opening song the second part of the film is Abraham van Helsing introducing himself to the audience. The Doors style!
- "I Want" Song: Jonathan Harker sings one about all he wants now is to be with Mina. Doubles as Songs of Solace.
- Kick the Dog: When Dracula attacks the boat girl.
- Leitmotif: The vampire hunters have their own guitar-riff. Doubles as Battle Theme Music.
- One-Winged Angel: Dracula becomes a werewolf now and then.
- Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Van Helsing during his song numbers.
- Playing a Tree: One scene and following song number has the dancers play furniture.
- Rage Against the Heavens: This Dracula somehow became a vampire with nothing but his own hatred of God.
- Rule of Three: Three suitors vs. three vampire sisters.
- Shout-Out:
- After van Helsing has held his lecture, he is chased by his students like Dr. Jones.
- One music cue sounds like it is taken out of Castlevanina.
- The vampire sisters quote MacBeth.
- They Called Me Mad!!: Renfield. In a rather chilling moment Renfield seems to be able to see the future, or at least read minds, when he correctly predicts that Seward is going to visit Lucy and that she will not chose him as her husband.
- Tragic Monster: Dracula is portrayed as one in this version due to his backstory.
- Villainous Crush: Dracula for Mina.
- Villain Song:
- Dracula's song: "Children of the night"
- He actually gets two Villain Love Song, one of them a Final Love Duet
- The Vampire Sister's song: "Carpe Noctem"
- A Dark Reprise is performed by Lucy
- Renfield gets a song: " My Master, Use Me"
- Heck, even Dracula's minions gets a song. What it called? "In the Service Of the Count"
- Dracula's song: "Children of the night"
- "The Villain Sucks" Song: Van Helsing sings one about Dracula.
