Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- irreverent
- campy
- frantic
- halloween movie night
- late night horror comedy
What critics said
Critics generally enjoyed the premise, committed performances, and bursts of gory comic action, but found the story thin and the repetitive action unable to sustain the feature.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Renfield's centuries of obedience to Dracula are framed as a toxic relationship in which he performs errands, procures victims, and seeks independence.
The classic Dracula-Renfield dynamic is combined with police corruption, a criminal underworld, and modern self-help language.
Renfield's bug-enhanced strength and the film's deliberately excessive action make bloodshed part of its comic design.
Nicolas Cage's Dracula is a heightened, knowingly extravagant interpretation, central to the film's comic appeal.
Films like Renfield, and why
What We Do in the Shadows
shares irreverent vampire mythology, graphic comedic violence, and a fast-moving horror-comedy tone
Blade II
shares comic-book-inflected monster action, exaggerated gore, and a reluctant-hero premise
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
shares campy gothic horror, heightened performances, and playful genre revisionism
The Frighteners
shares an abusive supernatural relationship, dark humor, and an ordinary protagonist seeking liberation
Movie Details
- Director
- Chris McKay
- Release Date
- 2023-04-07
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (2256)
Cast
- Nicholas Hoult
- Nicolas Cage
- Awkwafina
- Ben Schwartz
- Shohreh Aghdashloo
- Brandon Scott Jones
- Adrian Martinez
- Camille Chen
- Bess Rous
- Jenna Kanell
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Peacock Premium, YouTube TV, Peacock Premium Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Renfield about?
- A long-suffering vampire henchman rebels against Dracula while using bug-fueled powers to confront a corrupt criminal empire.
- What is Renfield like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Renfield as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Renfield violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Renfield as graphic.
- What did critics think of Renfield?
- Critics generally enjoyed the premise, committed performances, and bursts of gory comic action, but found the story thin and the repetitive action unable to sustain the feature.
- Which films are like Renfield?
- Films with a similar feel include What We Do in the Shadows, Blade II, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, and The Frighteners.
- How long is Renfield?
- Renfield runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch Renfield?
- In United States, Renfield streams on Peacock Premium, YouTube TV, Peacock Premium Plus.
