2023 had two movies inspired by Bram Stoker’sDracula, and between the two,Renfieldwas the less faithful yet more enjoyable movie to watch.The Last Voyage of the Demeterwas the other 2023 Dracula movie, an expansion of one chapter from the source novel, “The Captain’s Log,” into a two-hour creature-feature film. Because it adheres so closely to the book, it does not add anything new to the genre. Conversely,Renfieldis a unique blend of comedy and horror that brings a fresh take to the Dracula cinematic universe.
TheRenfieldcastis led by Nicolas Cage as Dracula and Nicholas Hoult as Robert Montague Renfield, Dracula’s servant. The movie is a loose sequel to Universal’s classic monster movie,Dracula, expanding on the relationship established in the original. The movie explores the dynamic between Dracula and Renfield after 90 years together, untilRenfield’s action-packed ending. But while the characters are familiar, the irreverent tone is completely unexpected. As a result,Renfieldis a great addition to any Halloween movie checklist – much more so thanThe Last Voyage of the Demeter.
Renfield Is The Perfect Blend Of Horror And Comedy
Renfield’s Comedy Allows The Horror To Be More Gratuitous
Renfieldshakes up the staid nature of a straightforward adaptation by leaning into the absurdity of some of the Dracula tropes.Renfieldbrilliantly merges horror and comedy. Dracula gets his power from human blood, but Renfield gets his powers from consuming insects, a comedic recurring bit featured on screen many times. Renfield realizes his relationship with his master is problematic while at a self-help group for people in codependent relationships. This is a wonderful blend of the story’s Gothic roots and the movie’s modern setting.
“Conflicted Character”: Nicholas Hoult Details Renfield’s Evolution From Dracula’s Shadow
Nicholas Hoult describes Renfield as a “conflicted character” while detailing the evolution that brought him out from under Dracula’s shadow.
Contemporizing the setting also helpsRenfieldstay fresh. As it’s been nearly a century since Renfield lived among the living, there’s a lot of great fish-out-of-water comedy, including a makeover montage. Hoult and Cage are both actors who can handle dramas and comedies, andRenfieldrequires them to draw from both toolboxes. Cage is in his element, playing Dracula completely straight, which of course makes the exaggerated, Bela Lugosi-inspired performance even funnier. Hoult gets to showcase his action and fight experience from theX-Menmovies.
BecauseRenfieldhas its comedic parts, it can push the violence as well, as the humor undercuts the gruesome action sequences. This version of Renfield has a fraction of Dracula’s power, so the fight choreography is beyond street-level.The comedy does not diminish the horror elements, but broadens the potential audience forRenfield. There is a long history of comedy-horror cult classic films:Shaun of the Dead,What We Do In The Shadows, andBeetlejuice- andRenfieldwill hopefully be added to this list in time.
Renfield Is A “Quasi-Sequel” To Universal’s 1931 Dracula Movie
Renfield Takes Many Adaptive Liberties (And Is Stronger For It)
Director Chris McKay has describedRenfieldas a “quasi-sequel” to Universal’s 1921Draculahorror classic. The characters of Dracula and Renfield are meant to be the same characters as in the 1931 movie, but now 90 years into their toxic tango.Renfieldopens with a black-and-white narrated montage of how Renfield came to be Dracula’s loyal servant that adheres to the events and styles of the 1931 movie.Cage insisted on recreating scenesfrom the originalDraculamovie, adding to the sense of authenticity,
Renfielduses the 1931Draculamovie as a point of inspiration but does not hold the facts or tone sacred, which makes the movie wonderfully memorable.
Of course,Renfieldis not a direct sequel.Renfielddirectly retconsDracula’s endingas Renfield is killed by Dracula in the 1931 version. Similarly, the character in the novel consumes bugs as part of a delusion that it would give him powers, andthe movie actually gives Renfield powers. This leads to some heightened action sequences where Renfield has supernatural abilities that allow him to leap up flights of stairs in a bound and rip people’s arms off like twigs.Renfielduses the 1931 movie as a point of inspiration but does not hold the facts or tone sacred, which makes the movie a welcome spin on well-known source material.
Why Renfield Disappointed At The Box Office (But You Should Watch It Anyway)
Renfield Can Still Find Its Place As A Cult Classic
Renfieldwas a box office bomb, grossing less than half of its budget. Due to its blend of genres,Renfieldwas a difficult movie to market.Renfield’s publicity did not lean into its connection to Dracula, the far better-known figure than the sidekick Renfield. Furthermore, because of its violence,Renfieldwas rated R, which is historically a box office hurdle.
The other 2023 Dracula spinoff movie,The Last Voyage of the Demeter, also grossed just shy of half its budget with an August release.
Other factors behindRenfield’s performance include the timing of its release. Despite being a vampire horror movie,Renfieldwas released in April instead of during the lead-up to Halloween. An April release putRenfieldin direct competition withThe Super Mario Bros. Movie, which grossed over $1 billion, andJohn Wick: Chapter 4, which would siphon off some action fans. However, whileRenfielddid not find its audience in theaters, there is a history of horror-comedies becoming cult classics over time, particularly with annual Halloween rewatches.Renfielddeserves to be added to the ranks ofHocus Pocus,The Rocky Horror Picture Show, andJennifer’s Body.
Renfield
Cast
In this horror comedy, Renfield, the lackey of Count Dracula, aids the famous vampire on his journey to the new world. Unfortunately, the long-suffering servant is committed to an insane asylum after being framed for the murder of several ship crew members on arrival. When given a second chance at life, he falls for a quirky and aggressive traffic cop named Rebecca Quincy.
