Renfield Review (2023) - A hilarious, entertaining, and gory romp through the shadows, where laughter meets the macabre!

It is Spooky Season!!! We love spooky season and we are kicking off this year with a newer film called “Renfield”! “Renfield” is an incredibly fun, entertaining, and hilarious take on the classic story of Dracula. This film is truly a bloodsucking gem, offering a gory feast for us horror enthusiasts with a side of devilish laughter. This film takes the classic Dracula tale and spins it into a riotous, macabre carnival of absurdity and we potatoes are HERE for it! The acting and casting is absolute hilarious perfection! But, while the movie is extremely fun and amusing, it is also incredibly gory, dark, and openly discusses abuse.

As a result there are a lot of trigger warnings that need to be addressed, graphic violence, blood and gore, narcissistic abuse, psychological abuse, emotional abuse, isolation, body horror, disturbing imagery, death, substance abuse, and dark themes. This film is a comedy, but it is a dark comedy, so please be aware and watch with caution.

We will do everything we can to not give too many spoilers in this review but there are likely to be some, so please take that into consideration and read cautiously. Let’s get into it!

The film opens with a fade-in, into a group therapy meeting at a local church. Robert Montague Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) is listening to a young woman named Caitlyn (Bess Rous) discussing her toxic relationship with her narcissistic boyfriend. The therapist, Mark (Brandon Scott Jones), who is running the group askes her some questions to help her expand more on her situation.

She describes how she got into the relationship. That she was wooed and manipulated. She felt important and loved. This is unfortunately a very real thing. No one goes into a relationship thinking or knowing that it is going to be an abusive one. It is far too easy to blame or shame victims of abuse as if they are all supposed to somehow magically know that the person they love is going to abuse them. It is never the victim’s fault. No one asks to be abused, and no one knows that this is what they are getting into. But we digress!

As Caitlyn is talking, the camera focuses in on Renfield, and we hear the beginning of his story given via voice over. He calls his relationship destructive which we thought was a bit of an amusing choice of words. We would call it toxic and abusive but it is also destructive.

As Renfield is giving his voice over we leave the group and we get a glimpse of how he got into his toxic relationship with none other than the infamous Dracula (Nicolas Cage)! We all know who and what Dracula is! Dracula is a violent, charismatic narcissist, oozing like an infected wound with overconfidence, power, and an insatiable thirst for blood and control. Renfield became Dracula’s familiar/slave. Renfield was also love bombed. He was wooed, and lured in by Dracula’s manipulation and love bombing.

While Renfield, at this time, can recognize that his relationship with Dracula is toxic, and unhealthy. He is not yet ready to take his life and himself back and is still serving Dracula. He still believes that he has no choice, no other option but to serve Dracula. Renfield is fairly weary of it all though. He has been doing it for an exceptionally long time and narcissistic abuse is incredibly exhausting, dehumanizing, and all-consuming.

It is no easy feat at all to pull yourself out of such a situation, and move forward. We potatoes are more familiar with this than it is comfortable to admit and recovery is ongoing. Back to the film!

As Renfield describes his relationship with Dracula, and we get a good look at not only how abusive Dracula is, but how codependent and enmeshed poor Renfield is. Although his voice over and the background scenes are humorous, they reveal the darker undertones of what dealing with a master manipulator like Dracula looks like.

At the same time though the film’s audacious take on Dracula's narcissistic personality disorder is as entertaining as it is triggering! Dracula's insistent need for admiration, his grandiose fantasies, his gaslighting and his lack of empathy are portrayed with both frightful accuracy and a mirthful twist.

As we wrap up the backstory of Renfield and his relationship with Dracula, we learn that Dracula is not as clever or as subtle as the he likes to think. He quite literally bites off more than he can chew, or as Renfield puts it, “He goes on a bloodsucking bender.” In one scene, Dracula draws far too much attention to himself, gets attacked by vampire hunters and gets injured via sunlight…so he is extra crispy.

Renfield has to literally clean everything up, pick up Dracula, dust him off, move them to a new location, feed him, and essentially nurse Dracula back to health or “full power”. What is a bit hilariously true about this, is how badly Dracula needs Renfield! This is so true of narcissistic and toxic people! They are so good at convincing others that they need them…but the reality is quite the opposite!

Renfield does not actually need Dracula at all! Dracula needs Renfield. Without Renfield there is a good chance that Dracula would no longer be around…he relies heavily on Renfield but he is of course an epic toxic, asshole who would never admit to needing anyone or anything. But we digress!

After moving them to New Orleans, we see Renfield sitting at a table inside a horror themed restaurant. He is looking for a new place for him to move Dracula into that would be a good place to hunker down, heal, and feed without drawing too much attention.

From there we cut back to where we were at the start of the film. Renfield sitting at the group therapy session looking incredibly worn, and depleted. Caitlyn is still talking about her abuser, and exhausted Renfield is just checked out.

Mark, the group therapist, asks Renfield if he would like to share his story. Renfield says, “No, thank you. I don’t think you’d understand.”

Mark lets him know that it is OK not to talk, but that he really hopes that Renfield is getting something out of coming to the group sessions. Renfield reassures the group that he is getting something out it…little do they all know that what he is getting out of it is victims for Dracula.

Not the people within the group! Renfield does not go after those good people who are just trying to better themselves, grow, and break away from these abusive and horrible people that have taken over their lives.

He goes after their abusers! Which we have to say we potatoes love! Do two wrongs make a right…no…but if he has to feed Dracula…there are far worse ways to feed the monster!

Renfield believes that he has come up with a mutually beneficial solution, “get rid of their monsters by giving mine what he needs.”

The session wraps up, they say their affirmations, and Renfield gets up and leaves. On his way out he swallows a live bug. Why would he do that you may ask? Because there is one perk to being Dracula’s familiar…he shares a fraction of his power with you. Dracula needs to sustain himself off of human life. So, in order for Renfield to gain access to his powers he must take in life as well, life in the form of bugs.

Eyes glowing yellow, he leaves the session to find his newest victim…Caitlyn’s abuser, Mitch.

Now Mitch and his friends are far from brilliant…they decided it would be a good idea to steal drugs from the biggest crime family in the area, The Lobo’s. Laughing and enjoying their spoils inside what appears to be some kind of warehouse, they are surprised to see Renfield pop up.

They think that he must be with the cartel and try to give back the cocaine that they stole. Renfield is confused and tells them, “I’m a friend of Caitlyn”. To which the idiots all start laughing. Caitlyn is of no concern to them!

Renfield starts kicking ass with a lot of silly ease. He has a handkerchief with chloroform on it. The idea is to bring Dracula alive but knocked out people to feed upon.

Turns out the crime family did send someone to kill these idiots and get the drugs back! Surprised by the knife that was thrown into Mitch from afar, Renfield turns to the giant hit-man, Apache Joe. They fight. Renfield gets severely injured, eats more bugs and beheads Apache Joe with one punch to the face!

It is so ridiculous you can’t help but laugh! The severed head breaks through a window of the warehouse and hits the car outside idling for Apache Joe. Teddy Lobo (Ben Schwartz), the son of the city’s drug lord, is in the car waiting for Apache Joe…and is shocked as the head strikes the window of his car!

Renfield steps out of the warehouse and heads towards Teddy. Renfield is so beaten and bloody that he almost looks like a zombie. Teddy screams, “What the fuck!” and peels off so quickly he burns some rubber!

Cut to a DUI check point where we meet our female lead a police officer named Rebecca (Awkwafina). Rebecca is not satisfied with working at a DUI check point. She is frustrated and feels that there is more pressing crime that requires more attention.

We potatoes can understand that this is not what she envisioned for herself when she joined the police force. But we do have to say that drunk driving is an exceedingly serious issue. People lose their lives because of drunk driving and while the DUI check point may not feel like it is helping anyone, there is a good chance that it is. – With that being said, we potatoes always encourage responsible drinking, which includes not driving while drunk! Drink at home (safely, with water) and watch movies with one of our drinking games instead! - Moving on!

All of a sudden there is someone frantically honking in the DUI checkpoint line…none other than Teddy Lobo! He is still in quite the state from what he just witnessed, and is clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed. He keeps honking his horn loudly and shouts out of his car window, “Do you know who I am! I am Teddy fucking Lobo!”

Rebecca recognizes him, and approaches knowing full well who Teddy is, and the kind of criminal activity that he is involved in. Rebecca also happens to have a chip on her shoulder regarding the Lobo crime family. Teddy sees her approaching, and realizes that he has bags of cocaine right next to him in the passenger seat….”Fuck. Oh, fuck…FUCK IT!”

He slams down on the gas, and swerves trying to go around the checkpoint! He hits the barriers put in place to prevent this, damages the car, and has to get out of the vehicle!

He starts running with his arms full of cocaine yelling, “I got a prescription for this shit!”

While Teddy is running he turns and starts throwing the bags of cocaine at Rebecca! It is such a comical and ludicrous scene!

Rebecca keeps chasing him until she throws her nightstick hitting him in the back and causing him to fall flat on his face. “You’re under arrest bitch!”

Cut back to Renfield bringing the bodies back to Dracula. They are staying in an abandoned hospital building, and it looks extremely rundown to say the least. Renfield discloses that their options are becoming more and more limited as they are running low on funds, and it is getting more difficult to find places where they can hide their…lifestyle.

He drags the bodies into Dracula’s lair…which is in the basement of the desolate building. It looks like it smells absolutely RANK. You can almost smell it through the screen and it is disgusting! There are blood bags hanging on the walls, candles everywhere, and it is filthy. The place could be best described as complete filth.

Renfield is used to the state of things so he is unbothered by it. He drags the bodies into the center of the room and calls for his “Master.” Dracula pops up from the shadows…looking ROUGH. He is still not healed from his encounter with the vampire hunters and the sun. We have to give it to the practical effects team! He looks revolting!

He demands that Renfield give him the hand of one of the victims. Dracula bites off a finger, and starts feeding but it is short-lived. He spits out the hand and turns to Renfield, “What is this?”

Renfield tries to explain but Dracula does not really want to hear it. He declares all of the food Renfield brings him as trash! “You’re feeding me trash!”

Renfield apologizes, but Dracula continues! “I don’t ask for much Renfield! Just the blood of a few dozen innocent people!” He is so completely unhinged and outrageous…but also hilarious. He’s not asking for much! He’s only asking that you help him murder people! He is only asking that your life revolve around him entirely! He is only asking that you give up everything for him! That’s not much! Sigh.

He goes on to tell Renfield exactly what kind of victims he wants: happy couples, unsuspecting tourists, a handful of nuns and a busload of cheerleaders! It’s all so reasonable! Also, Dracula does not care about the gender of the cheerleaders! He is an inclusive monster and will eat anyone!

Renfield apologizes again, and tells Dracula that he deserves better…No Renfield he does not. Renfield goes on to tell Dracula that the world is dangerous, and that maybe if they were a little bit more careful maybe he…no, not he…they could have a life again.

Dracula does not like this…he attacks Renfield, gutting him. Dracula rants at Renfield as he is laying on the ground, “My needs are the only thing that matter, servant. And what exactly are my needs?”

Renfield repeats the list of people that Dracula stated moments ago. Pleased with Renfield’s response Dracula drips his blood into the gaping wound. Dracula’s blood can apparently heal any and all injuries! It’s Renfield’s, “Healthcare plan.”

Dracula says ominously, “You will get me exactly what I want.”

We are going to start wrapping things up from here as to not give too much more of the film away! Renfield grows more depleted and weary of Dracula. While trying to please Dracula, Renfield gets caught up in more of the Lobo crime family’s nonsense and crosses paths with Rebecca! Rebecca helps him to see himself in a different light! This causes Renfield to seek out the healing that he desperately needs. He continues to go to the group therapy sessions and really begins to fully realize the situation that he is in. He makes the incredibly brave, and impressive decision to get out of this abusive relationship. Which is much easier said than done. He works hard to create a new life for himself, to heal, grow, and rebuild his shattered sense of self.

We could not be more proud or happier for Renfield…but of course getting away from an evil entity like Dracula is beyond complicated. Dracula has come up with an insane plan and Dracula is not willing to let Renfield go. Dracula decides to partner up with the evil crime family, the Lobo’s, in order to exact revenge on Renfield, and see his plan through. More insanity, hilarity and gratuitous gore ensues as Renfield fights to save himself and the people he cares about!

This movie was an extremely fun ride but beneath the laughs lies a sinister truth. "Renfield" explores the mental health ramifications of narcissistic abuse, showing how people can be ensnared, manipulated, used, and dehumanized by their tormentors. "Renfield" revels in the absurdity of its characters, but it doesn't gloss over the harrowing effects of narcissistic abuse. It's a chilling reminder that even in the midst of comedy, there are real, haunting psychological scars left by manipulative individuals.

But what is NPD? There are many mental health professionals that discuss it, and we highly recommend looking some of them up on YouTube or speaking directly to a mental health professional. It can be such a broad term at times.

Well, Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) is a mental health condition characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance, a constant need for excessive attention, and a lack of empathy for others. Now, a person can display narcissism and narcissistic traits without having the clinical version of the personality disorder. This is something to be highly aware of.

People with NPD often manipulate others using tactics like gaslighting and emotional blackmail, damaging their victims' self-esteem and causing emotional distress. This constant emotional rollercoaster can leave you feeling worthless, anxious, and downright miserable. You might find it hard to trust others, struggle in relationships, and feel totally isolated. They chip away at your identity slowly, leaving you terrified of rejection.

There is more than one way to experience this kind of abuse, what we tend to see most commonly in media is the narcissistic boss or romantic partner which the film covers fairly well…but there are also narcissistic parents.

Narcissistic parents or caregivers mess with your head just like any other narcissist. They control, manipulate, and emotionally abuse you, making you feel worthless and unloved. Gaslighting, where they mess with your sense of reality, is their favorite game, leaving you confused and full of self-doubt. It's like living in a constant state of anxiety because you can never meet their impossible standards. Narcissistic people in general tend to have highly unrealistic expectations. As a result this messes with your ability to trust, express your feelings, and set boundaries in adulthood. It feels akin to lugging an extremely heavily weighted backpack filled with emotional and psychological wounds, potentially triggering depression, PTSD, anxiety, and a plethora of self-esteem challenges.

If you have experienced any of this, we potatoes feel for you and we understand. We understand greatly. It is vital to seek support through therapy or counseling to heal, establish boundaries, regain control, and to find yourself again. It is no easy thing, it is incredibly hard, but it is also brave and worth it. You are worth it.

We adored this film and highly recommend it! It was triggering, and gory, but so incredibly entertaining! We laughed a lot throughout the film. It is dark humor, but the way that Nicolas Cage played Dracula was so fantastic and an absolute RIOT! His performance alone makes this movie worth watching. He also seemed to have the best time with the role and we love it when we get that vibe from an actor!

We also have to give a shout out to Nicholas Hoult who played Renfield so damn well! His portrayal is so familiar…so sad, and yet liberating. Awkwafina was great as Rebecca, as was Ben Schwartz as Teddy Lobo! The casting was just terrific all around! The lighting, the music, the visual effects…everything was so well done!

This film reminds us that even in the face of darkness, laughter can be the best defense against the things that go bump in the night. So, sink your teeth into "Renfield!" If you are someone who enjoys a wickedly delightful blend of horror and laughter then this is the movie for you!

We give this movie 5 out of 5 Dracula cocktails!

The Renfield Drinking Game

Take a sip anytime:

1.     Anyone says codependent

2.     Anyone says narcissism or narcissist

3.     Anyone says Dracula

4.     Renfield goes to his support group

5.     Renfield calls Dracula “Master”

6.     Renfield eats a bug

7.     Dracula smiles

8.     Dracula hisses

9.     Dracula feeds

10.  Dracula calls Renfield “Servant”

11.  Dracula says/does something abusive and/or manipulative

12.  Rebecca says "Fuck you, Kyle!" Or "STFU, Kyle!"

13.  Rebecca is a badass

14.  Teddy Lobo is a moron or makes you laugh

15.  There's gratuitous gore on screen

16. There's an homage to old school Dracula (powers, bats, mannerisms, etc.)

What did you think? Did you like the movie? Did you hate it? What movies should we watch? Any and all thoughts are welcome! Let us know here in the comments and always remember to be safe and drink responsibly!