Nerdly » HorRHIFFic 2026: ‘Dracula In Space’ Review

24th Feb2026

HorRHIFFic 2026: ‘Dracula In Space’ Review

by Phil Wheat

Stars: Charlotte Reidie, Marcus Massey, Jessie Vinning, Kamahri May, Paul Leon, Felipe Chavez | Written by C.M. Wright | Directed by Gregory William Randolph Jr.

Here we go again, another low-budget genre movie from Champdog Films, and another that looks to use familiar names – in this case Dracula, to sell the film to the audience on an overcrowded platform like Tubi. And you know what? If you scroll past a title called Dracula In Space, that’s on you. That’s the kind of B-movie energy that demands at least 90 minutes of your life. Or – as here – 80 minutes with credits!

This time around, Louisa Warren hands directing duties to Gregory William Randolph Jr., with C.M. Wright on scripting duties, the same duo behind last year’s Champdog production, I Know What You Did Last Christmas.

The plot is pretty simple – a space vessel finds an ancient derelict ship near a black hole, containing a mysterious sarcophagus. After hauling it aboard (because of course they do), the ship’s crew start disappearing one by one. Because, and you’ve guessed it, they’ve unknowingly awakened Dracula, trapped in space centuries ago, now free to roam the corridors and terrorise the very people who “saved” him! For a film about the Prince of Darkness loose on a spaceship, there’s surprisingly little in the way of red stuff.

What this titular vampire does have going for him is style. Think Gothic Adam Ant — long flowing hair, layers of jewellery, and the kind of theatrical presence that suggests he wandered off the set of an ’80s music video. He also enjoys psychically connecting to his victims… which, frankly, feels like a tactical error. If the crew can hear you coming, the element of surprise is somewhat lost.

Visually, the production leans heavily into shadow… and not always for mood. The corridors of the ship are bathed in dim lighting that feels less like atmosphere and more like strategic concealment. It’s a tried-and-tested low-budget tactic: if the audience can’t see the joins, they can’t question them. That said, credit where it’s due – this spaceship isn’t quite as flimsy as some we’ve seen in the low-budget sci-fi trenches. The sets may be sparse, but they at least maintain a consistent look, and there’s a tangible effort to sell the illusion of a working vessel rather than a couple of dressed-up hallways in an industrial unit.

To its credit, Dracula In Space does attempt to layer in a little extra conflict. A mutiny subplot brews between two of the crew, adding something resembling internal tension alongside the supernatural threat. It’s not exactly The Hunt for Red October levels of political intrigue, but it does stop the film from becoming a repetitive cycle of corridor-walking and off-screen disappearances. Granted, the subplot never fully hits; it simmers more than it boils, but even that modest escalation helps pad out the runtime and gives the characters something to argue about besides the increasingly well-dressed vampire stalking the ship.

One of the more inspired touches comes courtesy of Felipe Chavez – oddly uncredited on the film’s IMDb page – who pulls double duty in a central dual role. He plays the ship’s onboard synthetic (because of course every self-respecting sci-fi vessel needs an android), and the program aboard the derelict ship that originally housed Dracula.

And the name of this synthetic humanoid? Go on, take a guess.

Renfield.

It’s the kind of gloriously on-the-nose reference that feels both daft and oddly fitting. In a film where Dracula is stalking metal corridors instead of Transylvanian castles, turning his loyal familiar into an android is actually a fun bit of mythological remixing. It doesn’t exactly reinvent vampire lore, but it shows there’s at least some playful thought going into how the gothic horror elements translate into sci-fi territory.

And the references don’t stop with Renfield. One of the crew members Dracula turns is named Dr. Seward, while the ship’s commanding officer is Captain Harker. At this point, the film isn’t just nodding to Dracula — it’s practically running a roll call. Here, Stoker’s gothic archetypes are reimagined as spacefaring crew, transplanted from crumbling castles to metal corridors. It’s not subtle, but it is consistent. If the film can’t afford lavish effects, it at least invests in weaving the source mythology into its sci-fi setting.

Another note, because it genuinely threw me for a minute: the film’s official synopsis on IMDb is completely wrong and CLEARLY references an earlier version of this film. For example, it references the crew of the Orpheus, but in the film itself, the vessel is revealed to be the Demeter (yes, that Demeter). Hey, at least that ties Dracula In Space even MORE to old-school Dracula lore!

In the end, Dracula In Space fizzles out. There’s the usual exposition, the crew discovering who, or what, this Gothic Adam Ant terrorising them is; a chase around the ship and a sacrifice that saves everyone. Or does it? The epilogue hints that this particular Dracula tale might not be over. Or it could be. Because they told almost the exact same story in 2004’s Dracula 3000, and that didn’t get a sequel either!