Renfield
Year: 2023
Rating: R
Length: 93 minutes / 1.55 hours
Sometimes, a movie comes along that has a fun concept and delivers on it. Renfield (2023) asks, “What if Dracula’s servant realizes his boss is toxic?” With all the modern progress that’s been made in worker’s rights, this ridiculous combination is just hilarious enough to work. There’s a lot of lore surrounding Dracula, so a story that’s set in the present time plays the contrasts for laughs. That this movie is even canonically connected to Dracula (1931) makes it feel like a heartfelt sequel to its almost 100-year-old predecessor.
The two actors who make this movie work are none other than Nicholas Cage (Dracula) and Nicholas Hoult (Renfield). Cage basically (and almost literally) gnaws on the scenery as he’s allowed to ham it up as the iconic monster. Hoult has shown he has great acting talent in recent movies like The Favourite (2018) and The Menu (2022). Renfield shows he knows how to play a straight role in such a way that makes Renfield’s genuine nature a funny character arc of growing independence. There are other standard comedy actors here as well, including Ben Schwartz and Awkwafina, but they’re nothing to write home about.
As an R-rated Dracula movie, Renfield leans heavily into the violence that comes with vampires and vampire-powered individuals. This gore might be over the top at times, but I think the campy nature of it leans into the comedy (like a 80s action flick). Even if the plot feels a little thin, it at least delivers on its premise of Dracula’s familiar realizing his employer is narcissistic and toxic to him as an individual. As long as you’re looking for a fun film to turn your mind off to, then this certainly fits the bill.
A modern Dracula take crossed with workers’ talk therapy, I give Renfield 4.0 stars out of 5.
