Dracula

Dracula has been rewritten as a brooding romantic lead so many times that it's easy to forget he's a rapist. Matthew sits down with AK and Marlena Chesner to ask the hard question: does giving a monster a tragic backstory change what he is, or does it just make us more comfortable rooting for him?Working through three versions of the Dracula story — Bram Stoker's novel, Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula, and the recent 2025 film — the group traces how each adaptation handles consent, female agency, and the ethics of sympathy. AK brings a sharp rhetorical lens to scenes the other guests found straightforwardly troubling, reading the 2025 film as an accidental and unnervingly accurate portrait of how abuse perpetuates itself, in particular in light of the consent allegations brought against Luc Besson, writer and director of the 2025 adaptation. Marlena's re-read of the novel keeps the conversation grounded in what Stoker actually wrote — including a Mina who is far more capable and agentive than most adaptations let her be.The conversation also takes in Castlevania and the Netflix Dracula mini-series as counterexamples, the "banality of evil" as a framework for understanding a villain who is fully convinced his violence is an act of love, and why the hallway fight scene in the 2025 film is the clearest sign that its makers see Dracula as a hero.About AK and Marlena Big time nerd, big time philosopher, big time lover of all things sci-fi and fantasy, AK_Ahab is a recent grad with a philosophy degree and a focus on disability and rhetoric. She makes D&D art and content about a wide variety of nerdy things on TikTok. Connect with AK: TikTok • Instagram • Twitter/X Marlena Chesner is the Digital Content Development Manager at the National Kidney Foundation, shares impactful patient stories that make a difference. They are also the host of the Hot Topics in Kidney Health podcast bringing the latest in kidney care to those who need it most. ************************************************************************** This episode is a production of Superhero Ethics, an Ethical Panda podcast and part of the TruStory FM Entertainment Podcast Network. Check out our website to find out more about this show and our sister podcast Star Wars Generations.We want to hear from you! Keep up with our latest news and send us feedback, questions, or comments via social media or email.TikTok · Twitter/X · Instagram · Facebook · EmailJoin the conversation in the Star Wars Generations and Superhero Ethics channels on the TruStory FM Discord.Want even more content while supporting the podcast? Become a member! For $5 a month or $55 a year you get access to bonus episodes and bonus content at the end of most episodes — and you can even give membership as a gift. Sign up here.You can also support us through our sponsors: Purchase a lightsaber from Level Up Sabers, run by friend of the podcast Neighborhood Master Alan. Use Audible for audiobooks. Sign up for a one-year membership or gift one through this link. Purchase any media discussed this week through our sponsored links.