Renfield wants to be a fresh take on Dracula, and mostly it fails. The 2023 comedy horror film from Chris McKay, based on Bram Stoker’s novel and the 1931 film, follows Renfield as he grows tired of serving the vampire count and tries to find a new life. It’s a setup with promise, but the execution leans too hard on jokes that don’t land and a central romance that never quite clicks.
The film stars Nicholas Hoult as Renfield, Nicolas Cage as Dracula, and Awkwafina as Rebecca Quincy, a feisty, perennially angry traffic cop. Ben Schwartz plays Teddy Lobo, and Shohreh Aghdashloo appears as Bellafrancesca Lobo. The story follows Renfield across a decade of service to Dracula, moving from England to New Orleans, where he joins a 12-step group for codependent relationships and gets tangled in a feud with the Lobo crime family.
The biggest problem is pacing. The film rushes through its own setup, leaving the audience behind. The 93-minute runtime doesn’t give any thread room to breathe, and the comedy often feels forced rather than funny.
Trailer, via Universal Pictures.
Cage’s Dracula
Nicolas Cage brings real energy to the role. He studied the way Bela Lugosi, Frank Langella, and Gary Oldman played Dracula on screen, looking for a way to make the character his own. His approach focuses on movement and tone, aiming for a blend of comedy and horror that he described as his goal. The performance is the standout element of the film.
What Works
The film’s best stretches come when it stops trying to be a broad comedy and lets the horror and action breathe. The chase scenes involving the Lobo gang are tense, and the moments between Renfield and Dracula carry genuine menace. Awkwafina’s Rebecca Quincy also benefits from a script that gives her a clear arc, even if the romance she shares with Renfield never quite takes hold.
What Doesn’t Work
The film’s weakest threads are its attempts at humor. The 12-step group scenes, meant to be the film’s comic heart, fall flat because the script doesn’t know how to balance the absurdity of the situation with the weight of the characters’ stakes. The result is a film that feels tonally confused, unable to commit fully to either its horror or its comedy.
Ranking the Threads
- Nicolas Cage’s performance — the standout element of the film.
- The chase scenes and tension between Renfield and Dracula — the film’s strongest stretches.
- Awkwafina’s Rebecca Quincy — a solid anchor despite a thin romance.
- The comedy surrounding the 12-step group — the film’s weakest thread.
The Verdict
Renfield has a strong premise and a capable lead actor, but the film around them is too thin. The comedy misses, the pacing sprints, and the romance never lands. McKay’s direction keeps things moving, but it can’t save a script that doesn’t know what kind of movie it wants to be.
This is a film that should have been tighter and funnier. As it stands, it’s a mixed bag that will satisfy fans of the genre but leave most audiences wishing for more focus.
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