Blu-ray Review: RENFIELD

Home » Blu-ray Review: RENFIELD

Jun 06, 2023 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

The original tale of Dracula has been adapted numerous times into film, but Renfield, which is set in modern time, looks at things from the perspective of Renfield (Nicholas Hoult, The Great), who has been Count Dracula’s (Nicolas Cage) henchman and loyal servant for centuries. Whenever Dracula goes on a bender and ultimately gets caught and severely wounded by those trying to stop the forces of evil, it’s up to Renfield to pull up stakes (so to speak) and find a new location for them to hide out while he nurses his Master back to health. Their latest lair is an old, rundown and abandoned hospital in New Orleans.

Renfield has grown tired and tortured from this role, and wants to finally be free of his Master. He has joined a support group, DRAAG (Dependent Relationship Anonymous Addiction Group), where leader Mark (Brandon Scott Jones, Ghosts) has helped him to realize that he is in a toxic relationship, and that all of Dracula’s demands, and the bloodshed he sheds on his behalf, is not healthy. But Renfield also had an ulterior motive for joining the group. While Dracula demands that he deliver up “innocent victims” for him to feed upon to quickly restore his power, instead Renfield searches for the evil and controlling people in the lives of his fellow group members and serves them up instead, in hopes that some good can come out of his actions. That said, being Dracula’s familiar does come with some perks. Insects to Renfield are like spinach to Popeye—when he eats a bug, it gives him superhuman strength and abilities, which helps when he’s trying to subdue his victims.

One day, while Renfield is trying to take down a trio of bad guys, he crosses paths with an assassin working for Tedward Lobo (Benjamin Schwartz), the cocky and immature son of crime boss Bellafrancesca Lobo (Shohreh Aghdashloo). And when heads start flying (literally), he quickly becomes public enemy number one to the Lobos. Officer Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina), who has a personal history with the Lobos, has been trying to take down Teddy for a long time, but the Lobos have too many cops on their payroll. She thinks that Renfield could be the person to finally help her succeed. Rebecca is like a breath of fresh air to Renfield, and proof that people can be truly good. She makes Renfield want to change. But it’s not going to be easy to break away from Dracula’s controlling powers, especially as he joins forces with the Lobos, with an eye on world domination.

Renfield is a highly-entertaining, fast-paced comedy-horror, with a little bit of rom-com sprinkled in. Nicholas Hoult is perfectly cast as Renfield, a man who is doing despicable things when we first meet him, but thanks to Hoult’s performance, the audience still finds him a sweet, likeable guy. He often narrates his inner-monologue to the audience, and we understand that this is a guy who wants to change, but is struggling to do so. It’s not until he meets Rebecca that his world literally changes from drab to full of color. Awkwafina is a breath of fresh air. While she’s an angry cop, it’s all in the name of finding justice, especially for those who harmed her family in the past. Awkwafina deploys her signature style of witty, past-paced dialogue, her character using humor to disarm an awkward or odd situation. Awkwafina and Nicholas Hoult have great chemistry with one another—their characters are so delightful together on screen, and play off one another perfectly for the more comedic moments. There’s this sweet connection between Renfield and Rebecca, who give one another hope that there’s still good people out in the world.

Nicolas Cage goes all in, giving 110% to this role, both channeling some of the classic Dracula performances of the past, while also making it his own, adding a little bit of that signature Nic Cage craziness. At the same time, Cage can be quite menacing and scary when he needs to be, as Dracula bears his sharp teeth and fangs and tears apart his victims with his razor-sharp fingernails. Benjamin Schwartz chews the scenery as the seemingly overly-confident Teddy, who’s always calling for his mother when things get tough. And Shohreh Aghdashloo makes a perfect villain—I will never tire of her deep voice. But one of the actors who is constantly stealing the scene is Brandon Scott Jones, who has some of the best comedic delivery and one-liners as group leader Mark.

Renfield has some amazing action sequences, with some well-choreographed fight scenes that make Nicholas Hoult look like a professional martial artist. The blood and gore can also be a bit over the top, with bodies exploding, appendages and faces being ripped off (and sometimes used as weapons), and and heads literally rolling, but this helps add to the humor. The film is able to find this perfect blend between the realistic and the absurd that makes it a fun rollercoaster ride. Renfield is a blast from start to finish. It was easily one of my favorite films I’ve seen in the theater this year, and I found it just as enjoyable watching for the second time around on this Blu-ray. It has the elements of a horror movie, but there’s also so much humor to it to keep it light, fun and entertaining. I would certainly welcome more films with these characters—let’s see Renfield and Rebecca take on more of the Universal Monsters!

UPHE has released Renfield on Blu-ray & DVD, but it is also available in 4K on Digital. I was sent the Blu-ray for review. The picture quality is excellent, with an incredibly clean and clear picture throughout. I can’t imagine it looking any better. All of the bloody, gory action is captured in great detail. This is a film that makes extensive use of color, and it is all beautifully presented, from the darker red and green glow of Dracula’s lair, to the brighter colors of the restaurant where Renfield and Rebecca first meet, to the pastels of Renfield’s apartment, and all the red blood flying everywhere. The audio track provides clear dialogue throughout and makes excellent use of the stereo and surround channels to provide an immersive viewing experience. This is especially noticeable when Dracula gets into Renfield’s head and orders him to do things, or when a storm or helicopter is overhead.

The Blu-ray and DVD discs are placed on either side of a standard HD keepcase, which is covered by an embossed cardboard slipcover. An insert provides instructions on how to redeem an HD digital copy of the film, as well as how to redeem points for the Universal Rewards program. The bonus material is the same on both discs, and consists of about an hour of deleted scenes and behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast/filmmakers, as well as an audio commentary with the crew. I especially enjoyed the dance number deleted scene that didn’t make it into the final film.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:50:42)

1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 7.1 DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, French 5.1 DTS Digital Surround
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

DVD:

480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English DVS (Descriptive Video Service), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French, Chinese, Korean

Digital (code may not be valid after 9/30/2024):

HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)
Universal All-Access Rewards Code (Offer may not be valid after 9/30/2024)
Code can be redeemed for points towards a free digital movie via the Universal All-Access Rewards program. The selection of about a dozen digital titles usually changes around the first of every month.

Extras:
Play All, or select from:

Deleted & Extended Scenes (17:31)
Collection of 8 deleted/extended scenes. Play All, or select from:
- Open (1:42)
  Dracula is trapped in a protection circle by a priest but uses his powers to of persuasion to get Renfield to free him. (There’s an extra joke here about the Catholic Church being the most trusted organization.)
- Lobo Compound & Murder Room (3:19)
  Teddy hands out cocaine to everyone celebrating at the compound, and then goes to see his mother in the murder room.
- Renfield’s Dance! (2:41)
  After leaving the restaurant a changed Renfield does a dance sequence. The text on the screen says it was originally choreographed “to a popular song”—here it is set to an unknown song called “On Top of the World”, so I’m guessing the original was probably Imagine Dragons’ “On Top of the World”.
- Mark Gives Renfield Advice (1:19)
  Mark offers Renfield advice about standing up for himself.
- Newscaster (1:47)
  A pair of news reports on the mob war at the restaurant.
- Lobo Gang Meet Dracula (1:58)
  The Lobo gang arrives at Dracula’s lair, where they find some dead bodies.
- CODA Kill (1:04)
  Dracula attacks and kills the members of the support group.
- Apartment Fight (3:46)
  Extended version of the big fight at the outside apartment complex.
Alternate Takes (3:18)
Collection of alternate line takes. First Doug and his friends making fun of Renfield, then Rebecca telling off a guy at the DUI checkpoint, and finally Teddy offering Dracula a drink.
Dracula UnCaged (4:48)
The cast and filmmakers discuss what it was like working with the legendary Nicolas Cage, while Cage talks about taking on this role, his inspirations, and his favorite film portrayals of Dracula. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producer Samantha Nisenboim, story/producer Robert Kirkman, and stars Nicholas Hoult (“Renfield”), Awkwafina (“Rebecca”), Ben Schwartz (“Tedward Lobo”), Shohreh Aghdashloo (“Bellafrancesca Lobo”) & Nicolas Cage (“Dracula”).
Monsters & Men: Behind the Scenes of Renfield (12:35)
The cast and filmmakers discuss how the project came about, how it’s not your typical Dracula movie but rather a relatable story of a man with a horrible boss, casting the movie, paying homage to the original Dracula movies, eating bugs, the chemistry between the actors, the costumes & makeup, filming in New Orleans, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with producer David Alpert, story/producer Robert Kirkman, screenwriter Ryan Ridley, producer Samantha Nisenboim, producer Bryan Furst, producer Sean Furst, costume designer Lisa Lovaas, makeup/special makeup effects designer Christien Tinsley, production designer Alec Hammond, special effects set foreman Matthew A. Hall, and stars Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Schwartz, Awkwafina, Shohreh Aghdashloo & Adrian Martinez (“Chris”).
Stages of Rejuvenation (6:15)
The cast and crew discuss the various stages of Dracula’s transformation, the extensive makeup process involved, creating Dracula’s teeth and nails on a 3D printer, and more. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with story/producer Robert Kirkman, producer Sean Furst, makeup/special makeup effects designer Christien Tinsley, producer Bryan Furst, producer Samantha Nisenboim, producer David Alpert, and star Nicolas Cage.
Flesh & Blood (5:23)
The cast and crew discuss the film’s blood and gore and practical effects. Includes behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with makeup/special makeup effects designer Christien Tinsley, screenwriter Ryan Ridley, story/producer Robert Kirkman, costume designer Lisa Lovaas, and stars Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez & Marcus Lewis (“Apache Joe”).
Fighting Dirty (6:12)
The cast and crew discuss the film’s action and fight sequences and wire work. Includes behind-the-scenes and stunt training footage, and interviews with stunt coordinator/2nd unit director Christopher Brewster, production designer Alec Hammond, and stars Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, Ben Schwartz & Awkwafina.
The Making of a Deleted Scene: Renfield’s Dance! (3:34)
The cast and crew discuss preparing for and filming the big dance scene that was ultimately cut from the movie. Includes table read and behind-the-scenes footage, and interviews with production designer Alec Hammond, choreographer Kathryn “Kat” Burns, costume designer Lisa Lovaas, and star Nicholas Hoult.
Feature Commentary with Producer Samantha Nisenboim, Screenwriter Ryan Ridley, and Crew (1:33:34)
This crew commentary was recorded in March 2023, before the film was released theatrically. Participants includes producer Samantha Nisenboim, screenwriter Ryan Ridley, assistant editor Noah Cody, supervising sound editor/sound designer Nancy Nugent, supervising sound editor/sound designer/additional re-recording mixer John Marquis, supervising and lead intermediate digital colorist David Cole, 2nd unit director James E. Price, and makeup/special makeup effects designer Christien Tinsley. The crew members provide an interesting and informative behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film, pointing out Easter eggs and homages to the original 1931 Dracula film, some of the improvisations and changes that were made, and discussing things like the color and look of the film, the actors and stunts, the filming locations, and more.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended

I first saw Renfield in the theater and thoroughly enjoyed it, and found myself instantly won over all over again the second time around. It is an action-packed and fun modern telling of these classic characters from a new perspective. I highly recommended this film for fans of the cast or those just looking for a more comedic but still grounded take on the genre. Universal’s Blu-ray release features solid picture and sound, and includes a very entertaining selection of bonus material. For those still on the fence, the film will be streaming on Peacock starting Friday June 9, if you want to try before you buy.