Movie Review: ‘Renfield’

Nicolas Cage is perfectly cast as Dracula and really sinks his teeth into the role, while Nicholas Hoult's strong everyman performance anchors the film.

(L to R) Nicolas Cage as Count Dracula, and Nicholas Hoult as Renfield in director Chris McKay's 'Renfield.'

Opening in theaters on April 14th is the new comedy-horror film ‘Renfield,’ which is based on a story by Robert Kirkman (‘The Walking Dead’) and was directed by Chris McKay (‘The Lego Batman Movie,’ ‘The Tomorrow War’).

What is the plot of ‘Renfield?’

In 'Renfield,' Dracula's (Nicolas Cage) lackey, R. M. Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), finds a new lease on life in modern-day New Orleans when he receives encouragement from a support group to finally stand up to his creator in hopes of breaking free of his servitude.

Meanwhile, a traffic cop named Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina) discovers that she is surrounded by corrupt cops as she tries to prove that mob boss Ella Lobo (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and her son Teddy (Ben Schwartz) murdered her father. Renfield and Rebecca soon meet and fall in love, but their relationship becomes complicated when Dracula awakes and starts working with the Lobo crime family. Now, Renfield must stand up against his master before he takes over the world, and help Rebecca bring her father’s killers to justice.

Renfield

"Sucks to be him."

R1 hr 33 minApr 14th, 2023

Showtimes & Tickets

Watch Renfield Online

Who is in the cast of ‘Renfield?’

‘Renfield’ stars Oscar-winner Nicolas Cage (‘Face/Off,’ 'The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’) as Dracula, Nicholas Hoult (‘The Menu’) as R. M. Renfield, Awkwafina (‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’) as Rebecca Quincy, Adrian Martinez (‘Focus’) as Chris Marcos, Ben Schwartz (‘Sonic the Hedgehog 2’) as Teddy Lobo, and Oscar-nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo (‘House of Sand and Fog’) as Ella Lobo.

Initial Thought

‘Renfield’ is an absolutely entertaining movie, which is both very funny and also very scary, as was intended. Director Chris McKay balances the movie’s two distinct tones very well, while Nicholas Hoult’s strong performance anchors the film. But its Nicolas Cage’s spot-on and over-the-top performance as Dracula that really makes the humor and the horror work so well together.

Nicolas Cage as Dracula in 'Renfield,' directed by Chris McKay.

Story and Direction

While the story was created by ‘The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman, who knows a thing or two about the horror genre, the screenplay was written by Ryan Ridley, who does a great job creating a new way to tell the Dracula story. Although the character of R. M. Renfield has appeared in several other Dracula movies, this is the first time we’ve seen the classic Vampire character through the lens of his servant, which feels fresh and exciting. Ridley also balances the comedy and the horror well in the script, allowing director Chris McKay to navigate both tones throughout the movie.

In fact, ‘Renfield’ may be the best example of a true horror/comedy since director Sam Raimi’s classic ‘Evil Dead II.’ I’m not a big fan of horror by itself, but when done right and mixed with another genre, it can really work to create something new, as it does here. But it’s the well-written character-driven moments that really elevate the film, especially those between Renfield and Dracula, which seems more like a long marriage than a boss/employee relationship.

McKay began his career in animation and directed the brilliant ‘The Lego Batman Movie,’ before moving on to live-action with the Prime Video movie ‘The Tomorrow War.’ With ‘Renfield,’ McKay proves that he can handle live-action as well as animation, and create a thoughtful and entertaining genre movie with a big name star like Nicolas Cage, while still balancing the film’s distinct tones. McKay also includes some excellent action sequences that are really well shot and choreographed, and add to the excitement of the film.

Nicholas Hoult and Joseph Mikel in 'Renfield,' directed by Chris McKay.

What are Renfield’s Powers?

Renfield has similar powers to Dracula, including super-strength and the ability to move very quickly, but he does not receive them from drinking human blood, instead he gains his strength from eating insects. In the movie, the character carries around a little box of bugs that he can eat when in danger, which allows him to use his powers for a short amount of time.

(L to R) Benjamin. Schwartz and Nicholas Hoult in 'Renfield,' directed by Chris McKay.
© 2023 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Nicholas Hoult’s Performance

Nicholas Hoult’s performance as R.M. Renfield is both the anchor and the heart of the movie. We see all the other characters and events through his eyes, and in many ways he is at the emotional core of the film. From the opening frame, Renfield wants to better himself and get out from under Dracula’s clutches, which is why he enrolls in a support group. His relationship with Rebecca is also a motivating force in his desire to change. Through that relationship and Renfield’s actions, we get to see another side of the character, thanks to Hoult’s emotional performance.

Hoult is an excellent actor but is often cast in secondary roles that do not showcase his talents as well as they could, like his role in ‘The Menu,’ for example. But in ‘Renfield’ Hoult is front and center and practically carries the movie’s emotion and narrative on his back. Hoult is wonderful in the role, funny, strange, emotional, and even scary at times, while also authentically performing the action sequences. The actor has great chemistry opposite Cage, and gives one of the best performances of his career so far.

Nicolas Cage is Dracula!

Nicholas Cage was uniquely qualified to portray Dracula, and I can’t think of any other actor that could bring the same level of gravitas and outrageous humor to the role. It’s perfect casting! Cage accesses his own strange public persona to play Dracula, while also channeling both the legendary Bela Lugosi (who played the famous vampire many times) and even a little bit of Elvis Presley to create the odd character.

But creating odd characters is Nicolas Cage’s bread and butter, and the actor does it again here, really “sinking his teeth” into the over-the-top performance and creating something completely different and captivating. You can tell Cage is having fun in every moment and is completely commanding in the role. He also has great onscreen chemistry with both Hoult, and actress Shohreh Aghdashloo.

Awkwafina as Rebecca in 'Renfield,' directed by Chris McKay.

Why Awkwafina’s Character Doesn’t Work

I’ve always liked actress and comedian Awkwafina’s work, but she was miscast as Rebecca. The actress is just not believable as the only New Orleans police officer that is not corrupt. Obviously, she is a very funny actress and has worked well in comedic roles in movies like ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ and ‘Raya and the Last Dragon.’ But she is also an impressive dramatic actress and was nominated for an Oscar for her work in ‘The Farewell.’

However, in ‘Renfield’ the actress is asked to do both comedy and drama at the same time, and it just doesn’t work. For example, after having a fight with her sister over finding their father’s killer, an obviously dramatic scene, the actress does a funny walk for comedic effect. It makes the scene unintentionally humorous and it doesn’t fit the tone of the rest of the film. The actress makes her scenes with Hoult and their character’s relationship believable, but seems lost throughout the rest of movie.

Benjamin Shwartz as Henry in 'Renfield,' directed by Chris McKay.

The Lobo Family

Ben Schwartz is often cast in comedic roles, and to be honest, his brand of humor usually doesn’t work for me. But in ‘Renfield,’ the actor is perfectly cast as Teddy Lobo, a spoiled mama’s boy who desperately wants to be respected by his mafia family. Schwartz’s particular brand of self-deprecating humor lends itself well to Teddy’s whiney persona and the actor has some very funny moments with both Hoult and particularly Cage.

And while her role is small, Oscar-nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo is great as Teddy’s mom, mob boss Ella Lobo. The actress accesses the correct amount of gravitas and humor for the part, and has some very funny scenes with Cage and Schwartz. In fact, the idea that Dracula would wake up in 2023 and align himself with the mafia is already comedy gold, and the film explores that idea well.

Nicolas Cage and Shohreh Aghdashloo in 'Renfield,' directed by Chris McKay.

Final Thoughts

In the end, ‘Renfield’ is a surprisingly entertaining movie that is as funny as it is scary. Director Chris McKay crafts an enjoyable romp, while Nicholas Hoult brings R.M. Renfield to life, and Nicolas Cage takes a big bite out of Dracula.

‘Renfield’ receives 8 out of 10 stars.