Renfield (Dracula Sucks Edition) - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Renfield (Dracula Sucks Edition)



Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:



AV NIRVANA is member and reader-supported. When you purchase an item using our links, we might earn an affiliate commission.
​

Movie
Not gonna lie, I originally dove into reviewing Renfield simply due to the fact that this was Nic Cage making a minor comeback in theatrical release film making once more. For so long the king of hamming it up has been wallowing in the dungeons of cheap DTV films as he chewed his way out of debt. But with films like Into the Spiderverse and The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent reintroducing him to the populace, it looks like he has a sort of second birth going on. Now, don’t get me wrong. Renfield looked cheesey as all get out, and definitely not destined to be a mega blockbuster by any stretch of the imagination, but lets face it. We all thought just by looking at the trailer that hamming it up as Count Dracula was a role that Cage was simply born to play.

While Count Dracula lore has pretty much been a staple in vampire lore for the better part of 100 years (in films that is), there are few movies about the lord of darkness himself this campy. We’re introduced to Dracula’s (Cage) hundreds of years old familiar Robert Montague Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) as he narrates his fall from grace into the clutches of his now master via a support group for codependent people he visits. It seems that while he has to take care of the undead lord during the daytime, the toll of murdering innocent victims and bringing them back to Dracula to feed is weighing heavy on Renfield’s soul. He wants out, a fresh lease on life, and hopefully he can figure out a weight to break the chains of manipulation that Dracula has carefully woven around him.

Things go a bit sideways when Renfield saves the life of officer Rebecca (Awkwafina) using the powers bestowed upon him by his master, and gets a taste for the life of hero. Attempting to branch out and regain some of his former “humanity”, Renfield naively thinks that he can get away from Dracula for good. Unfortunately for him, his blood sucking boss finds out about his betrayal, turning every relationship around him to dust and pointing the finger straight at Renfield and officer Rebecca using the local gang that Rebecca has been hunting her whole career. Now it’s a game of master vs. apprentice in an all out war for freedom.

Renfield is pure hammy fun, and in many ways, ALMOST lives up to the glory that the trailer promised. It’s a matter of give and take on that front, with the trailer promising a hammy, hilariously gory take on the master/apprentice relationship between Dracula and Renfield, and in many ways it delivers. When the story is focusing on Renfield himself, or Dracula and Renfield, is is every bit of what we possibly could have hoped for. Nic Cage is chewing the scenery like you wouldn’t believe, just basking in the obviously campy nature of the script like he’s a starving man who has just seen a feast appear in front of him. However, when the story tries to get a bit TOO serious, or simply when Awkwafina makes her entrance to a scene, then it falls off the rails. The serious bits where Rebecca and Renfield talk come across as tonally out of place, and the Lobos gang is sort of shoe horned in there. The movie is at its best when it’s just Nic and Nicholas having a ball with their respective roles.

The action is actually one of the highlights of the film, with director Chris Mckay making sure that it’s never too hammy, but never too serious for its own good either. Said action is a gory mess of goodness, with high flying wire work, blood and gore so over the top you can’t help but giggle (the apartment fight scene is probably the best in the movie), and easily some of the best parts of the entire film.




Rating:

Rated R for bloody violence, some gore, language throughout and some drug use




Video:

Renfield comes to Blu-ray in a nearly stellar looking 1080p encode that looks fantastic, albeit heavily stylized. A goodly portion of the film is heavily muted color wise, with neo noir neon infused colors ranging from darkened greens, purples, and even amber tones. These shots look a bit soft, even though you can see excellent details and only minor banding. The daylight shots with Renfield and Rebecca in the “real world” tend to be razor sharp and neutral in color grading. Much better visual clarity and still the same strong detail levels. Not a bad disc and one that ALMOST got a 4.5/5 rating, but the heavily stylized use of Dracula and Renfield’s world keeps it from being amazing.









Audio:

The 7.1 DTS-HD MA track that Universal put on board is more than amazing, though. The presentation is superb, with a highly immersive track that literally exudes tons of sonic activity from all angles. The creepy lair under the hospital is prone to drips, creaks, and the swirling swoosh of Dracula making an entrance (or exit too). Bass is deep and powerful, with tons of low end activity when Renfield kicks into high gear after eating his bugs (watch the movie), not to mention the fantastic surround activity in the above ground world as well. Simply put, this is an excellent track with spot on dialog and heavy use of the ancillary channels.












Extras:

• Feature Commentary with Producer Samantha Nisenboim, Screenwriter Ryan Ridley, and Crew
• Hilarious Deleted and Extended Scenes
• Alternate Takes
• Dracula UnCaged – Go inside the mind of a vampire as Dracula himself, Nicolas Cage, reveals the secrets behind turning a classic character into a memorable monster.
• Monsters & Men: Behind the Scenes of RENFIELD – An in-depth look at Renfield's cast, sets, costumes and more as the actors and filmmakers reveal how they modernized a famous terror tale with trailblazing comedy and over-the-top action.
• Stages of Rejuvenation – See how special makeup effects bring the undead to life throughout the four stages of Dracula's incredible transformation.
• Flesh & Blood – Exploding heads. Peeling faces. Severed limbs. They're all part of the macabre movie magic that fuels Renfield with inventive action and hilarious horror.
• Fighting Dirty – Stunt coordinator Christopher Brewster leads a look at the training, choreography, and careful execution that goes into the film's spectacular stunts and fight scenes.
• The Making of a Deleted Scene: Renfield's Dance! – Nicholas Hoult and choreographer Kathryn Burns pull back the curtain on constructing an elaborate musical number for a fantasy dance sequence.

Final Score: ​

Renfield is not going to appeal to everyone. The flick is intentionally hammy, intentionally over the top gory, and has some uneven bits that keep it from being as awesome as the trailer hinted at. Still, it’s actually a fun watch, and Nic Cage having so much fun in a theatrical release film again is probably worth the price of admission alone. The Universal Blu-ray looks and sounds great, and the disc even has some reasonable extras on board. Worth it as a fun watch if you like the look of the trailer.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashlo
Directed by: Chris McKay
Written by: Ryan Ridley, Robert Kirkman, Ava Tramer
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 7.1, French DTS 5.1, Spanish DTS-HR 7.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Studio: Universal
Rated: R
Runtime: 94 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: June 6th, 2023

Recommendation: Fun Watch

 

[tripplej]

Thanks for the review. Never heard of this one. Will look for this on streaming channels.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

It's really shocking to me how many titles are being released these days on blu-ray only with no Atmos track, when the Kaleidescape and streaming versions have the Atmos track (plus UHD HDR). Either the industry is actively trying to kill off physical media or they're really trying to assault their most dedicated fans by delaying a 4K/Immersive physical release in hopes people will buy it twice.

Either way, if there were any doubts in your minds about who's making these decisions, there's really not a plausible situation that makes these people look good.

 

[Michael Scott]

It's really shocking to me how many titles are being released these days on blu-ray only with no Atmos track, when the Kaleidescape and streaming versions have the Atmos track (plus UHD HDR). Either the industry is actively trying to kill off physical media or they're really trying to assault their most dedicated fans by delaying a 4K/Immersive physical release in hopes people will buy it twice.

Either way, if there were any doubts in your minds about who's making these decisions, there's really not a plausible situation that makes these people look good.

the first is the most likely option. If you're listened to the scuttlebutt and insider rumors a LOOOOT of executives high up in Disney, Uni, Lionsgate etc, really despise that they even have to put out physical media. Streaming is just easier and physical media is a chore. They've tried desperately for years to kill of physical media, and it looked like it was working for a while, but I've noticed a massive upsurge in phys media interest with how cruddy so many of the streaming only exclusives have turned out to be combined with fracturing of the streaming market.

(this is all just my own personal musings and combinations of ideas from talking to higher ups)

 

[Asere]

I saw this on Peacock. I agree a fun watch and much better than I expected. Thanks for the review.