Renfield (2023) 4K UHD Review
Renfield (2023) 4K UHD Review
Behind every great monster is an overworked sidekick: Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield, the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss: Dracula (Nicolas Cage). For centuries, Renfield has slavishly served Dracula by procuring his master’s prey and doing his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, Renfield is ready to look for a new life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness, if only he can figure out how to end the toxic, codependent relationship…
RENFIELD, directed by Chris McKay and written by Ryan Ridley, and based on a story from THE WALKING DEAD’s Robert Kirkman, is no FRIGHT NIGHT (1985) or THE LOST BOYS (1987). It falls short of the high standard set by both when it comes to providing top-draw vampire-comedy-horror.
The concept of Dracula being a bad boss and showing Renfield complaining about his ‘Master’ at a support group is an amusing idea, but it is also a one-joke scenario that wears thin quickly. The creative team behind RENFIELD obviously thought so too as tonally the film is all over the place as if they could not make up their collective minds about where to take their slim concept to next.
Nicolas Cage gives it his all as Dracula, so what a shame it is that he is relegated to what is a supporting turn. Otherwise, all the heavy lifting is down to both Nicholas Hoult and Awkwafina as their winning turns navigate us through the messy turns that the muddled script that robs RENFIELD of its cast’s strengths.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Audio commentary with producer Samantha Nisenboim, screenwriter Ryan Ridley & other crew members
• Eight deleted and extended scenes (17 mins)
• Alternate takes (3 mins)
• Featurette “Dracula UnCaged” about Nicolas Cage as Dracula (5 mins)
• Featurette “Monsters & Men” behind the scenes featurette of RENFIELD (12 mins)
• Featurette “Stages of Rejuvenation” about the transformation of Dracula (6 mins)
• Featurette “Flesh & Blood” about the splatter effects (5 mins)
• Featurette “Fighting Dirty” about the stunts (6 mins)
• Featurette “The making of a Deleted Scene” about Renfield’s Dance (3 mins)
• Trailers & TV Spots
