Jonathan Harker, a diligent English solicitor, embarks on a journey to the foreboding Castle Dracula in Transylvania, modern-day Romania. Along the way, he becomes increasingly unsettled by the ominous reactions of the locals and their coachman when they discover his destination. His mission is to conduct business with the enigmatic Count Dracula, requiring him to stay at the castle for several days.

A Strange Welcome

Upon reaching the castle, Harker finds a warm welcome awaiting him with all the comforts one might hope for. Count Dracula, his host, is both charismatic and unsettling in appearance, his pallid complexion strikingly unnatural to Harker. As Harker adjusts to his surroundings, he becomes intrigued by the peculiar atmosphere of the castle. His discussions with Dracula occur only at night, as the Count is never available during the day. Despite the excellent meals provided, Harker notices a complete absence of servants. While exploring, he discovers the castle is perched atop a mountain, with its only exit locked tight. He is shocked to realize that he has become a captive.

Unsettling Experiences

Harker's stay at the castle soon turns nightmarish. During one clandestine exploration, he encounters three ghostly women who attempt to drink his blood. Count Dracula intervenes, warding them off and asserting his ownership over Harker. Harker later witnesses a large bat, which he soon understands to be Dracula himself, scaling the castle walls. In his desperate bid for freedom, Harker stumbles into a chapel filled with coffin-like boxes of earth and discovers Dracula inside one, apparently lifeless. When evening falls, Harker demands his release. Dracula opens the door to reveal a pack of wolves, laughing cruelly at Harker’s helplessness. The following day, Harker wakes weakened and ill from a mysterious throat wound, realizing Dracula has left the castle, leaving him trapped without any means of escape.

Events in England

Meanwhile, in England, Harker's fiancée Mina Murray visits her close friend, the lovely Lucy Westenra, who is engaged to Arthur Holmwood. A violent storm ushers a peculiar ship ashore, its only occupant a wolf-like dog that flees into the countryside. Shortly thereafter, Lucy begins sleepwalking, her once bright spirits dimming. Mina, concerned for her friend, follows her one night and finds her in a churchyard, with a tall, thin figure hovering nearby. The figure vanishes as Mina approaches, and Lucy, upon awakening, remembers nothing, although her health is noticeably declining. The situation worsens to the point where Mina calls on Dr. Seward, Lucy’s past suitor, for assistance. Under his care, Lucy starts to improve, and Mina is reassured enough to leave when she learns Jonathan has been found alive in Budapest.

Lucy’s Deterioration

Lucy's condition soon takes a turn for the worse, prompting Dr. Seward to seek help from Dr. Van Helsing, a renowned specialist from Amsterdam. After examining her, Van Helsing is struck by the mysterious punctures on Lucy’s throat. He is alarmed by her significant blood loss, which lacks any signs of typical anemia or bleeding. They administer blood transfusions and ensure someone watches over her nightly. Lucy shows signs of recovery but dreads sleep due to terrifying dreams.

A Mother's Mistake

One morning, Van Helsing and Dr. Seward find Lucy gravely ill, despite another transfusion. To protect her, Van Helsing places garlic flowers around her neck, but Lucy’s mother unknowingly removes them, fearing their scent. This leaves Lucy vulnerable, and she is found in a coma the next morning. Another transfusion revives her somewhat, and she reveals that the garlic wards off the frightening nightly noises at her window. Van Helsing remains by her side until he believes she's out of danger, instructing her to always wear the garlic before he returns to Amsterdam.

A Tragic Turn

Tragedy strikes when Lucy’s mother, sleeping alongside her, awakens one night to a wolf crashing through the window. Overcome by fright, she dies of a heart attack, and Lucy faints, losing the garlic protection. The following morning, Seward and Van Helsing find Lucy on the brink of death. As Arthur arrives to bid farewell, Lucy's behavior turns sinister, her teeth poised as if to bite him. Van Helsing intervenes, preventing the attack. After Lucy passes, Van Helsing places a crucifix in her mouth, but an attendant later steals it.

A Disturbing Discovery

Not long after Lucy's death, local children are discovered far from home with identical throat wounds. They claim to have followed a "pretty lady." Upon Harker’s return to England, Van Helsing meets with him and Mina, sharing his conviction that Lucy was prey to a vampire. He explains that to save Lucy’s soul, they must stake her heart, decapitate her, and fill her mouth with garlic. Dr. Seward initially resists, but the group returns to Lucy’s tomb and performs the necessary rituals upon discovering it empty at night but occupied by day.

The Hunt for Dracula

With Mina’s assistance, Van Helsing and Seward pursue Dracula in London to prevent further victimization. They aim to neutralize the boxes of soil Dracula brought from Transylvania, vital to his survival. Though they corner him, Dracula eludes capture, attacking Mina in his escape and vowing revenge through her. Van Helsing hypnotizes Mina to trace Dracula’s movements, discovering he is at sea, heading back to his castle. In the desolate wilderness, wolves encircle the group, but Van Helsing’s crucifix-inscribed circle keeps them safe. At dawn, they intercept a cart carrying Dracula's coffin. Overpowering the drivers, they pry it open, and as the sun sets, they drive a stake through Dracula's heart, freeing Mina and ending the vampire's reign.