The film is set in the 15th century and follows Vlad III Tepes (Luke Evans), the Prince of Wallachia. Vlad, also known as Vlad the Impaler, is a formidable warrior who has earned a fearsome reputation for impaling his enemies. Despite his brutal past, he has become a just and compassionate ruler.
Vlad’s peaceful reign is threatened when the Ottoman Empire, led by Sultan Mehmed II (Dominic Cooper), demands that Wallachia provide a thousand boys, including Vlad’s own son, to serve in the Ottoman army. To protect his people and his family, Vlad seeks dark powers from a mysterious cave in the mountains, inhabited by a vampire (Charles Dance).
In exchange for these powers, Vlad must resist consuming human blood for three days; otherwise, he will be cursed to remain a vampire forever. Vlad successfully repels the Ottoman forces using his newfound abilities but struggles to resist the thirst for blood.
As Vlad’s vampiric nature becomes more apparent, he grapples with the consequences of his choices. Mehmed, discovering Vlad’s transformation, sees an opportunity to use Vlad’s powers for his own gain.
The climax of the film occurs when Vlad faces the Ottoman forces in a final battle. He ultimately succumbs to his vampire instincts, embracing his dark side to defeat Mehmed and his army. In doing so, Vlad fulfills the prophecy that he will become a creature of the night.
The movie ends with Vlad’s wife, Mirena (Sarah Gadon), who was killed earlier in the film, being resurrected as a vampire by Vlad’s bite. The two reunite, and the film closes with the suggestion that Vlad and Mirena will navigate their new existence together.
“Dracula Untold” received mixed reviews, with praise for Luke Evans’ performance and the action sequences but criticism for its historical inaccuracies and the decision to make it part of Universal Pictures’ attempted shared universe of classic monsters.