A Russian schooner, the Demeter, approaches England. It's crew have succumbed to a strange fever. Those, that is, that have not merely vanished. As the Demeter draws near, Mina Van Helsing begins suffering nightmares. One evening, Lucy Seward finds Van Helsing collapsed on the bedroom floor, her eyes unfocused. Seward makes note of several personality changes that, of late, have come over Harkness. Seward and her father, John, a doctor, deliver Mrs. Renfield's baby. Searching for Van Helsing, the Sewards discover the Demeter, dashed upon the reefs. There are no survivors.
John Harker meets with Doctor Seward, at the site of the shipwreck. They take note of Mister Renfield, who is frantically pulling the contents from the Demeter's hold out of the surf. Doctor Seward, and Harker, discover the Demeter's captain. lashed to the wheel, and the mast, with his throat ripped open. Doctor Seward calls after Renfield, who puts the doctor off, intent on finishing his task with great haste. Upon delivering the recovered property, Renfield is confronted by Count Dracula. Renfield falls under the Count's influence, and enters into his employ.
Seward, and Van Helsing, prepare to meet the Count. Van Helsing continues to behave strangely. During dinner, Doctor Seward is called away, on a matter of minor urgency. The doctor leaves Seward, and Van Helsing, in the care of the Count. Upon his return, Doctor Seward finds the Count tending to his daughter, who seemingly had feinted. Van Helsing took great delight in the occurrence. Seward is brought around with smelling salts. Van Helsing stifles her eerie laughter with a doll, pressed to her lips. Disturbingly, Van Helsing suddenly bites the doll's neck.
Late at night, the Count visits Van Helsing, and drains her of her blood. Van Helsing's father, Abraham, a professor, journeys by train, to England. From the train, Professor Van Helsing briefly spies the terrifying image of his daughter, made a vampire by the Count. Seward calls on the Count, to offer her gratitude for his compassion, in the wake of Van Helsing's demise. Seward is seduced by the Count. Van Helsing spirits a newborn baby away from it's family, to feast upon the baby's blood. Professor Van Helsing confronts his daughter, and impales her with a stake.
Professor Van Helsing burns his daughter's body. Renfield commits suicide. Professor Van Helsing pursues the Count, desperate to save Seward. Professor Van Helsing confronts Count Dracula. The Count murders Professor Van Helsing. The horror of the Count's actions, and indeed of his very existence, shakes him. Sharing one final embrace with Seward, the Count exposes himself to the rays of the rising sun. Seward, too, perishes in the light of the sun. Her soul, however, has been spared the damned existence of the Count.
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