Dracula delivers everything required for frightful fun

The Guardian

The three-part BBC series from Sherlock's Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss starring Claes Bang in the title role, which drops on Netflix on Saturday, is "basically Sherlock but about Dracula," says Lucy Mangan. "And peak Sherlock at that: seeking always to entertain the audience, revitalising the story while revelling in its absurdity, clever without being clever-clever, and strewn with comic and dramatic flourishes that give you the feeling that this is not just a treat but a tribute – to the author, to the season, to you as an intelligent viewer. It’s a proper job, is what I’m saying. And that means proper scares. No spoilers, but the one in the (redacted) when the (redacted) suddenly (redacted) had me clinging to the ceiling. I advise parental supervision at all times. My dad was annoyed at having to come over, but needs must when the devil calls and starts emanating from your screen. Everything you need is here. A dark, unmappable, labyrinthine castle. Gnarled hands resting on balcony ledges, their unseen owner lurking in shadowy recesses. Terrified locals. Bats. Babies crying. Primal fears inescapably roused."

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