{"id":39974,"date":"2023-06-05T18:10:56","date_gmt":"2023-06-05T22:10:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/?p=39974"},"modified":"2023-06-05T18:32:21","modified_gmt":"2023-06-05T22:32:21","slug":"renfield-2023-dracula-sucks-edition-blu-ray-dvd-digital","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cinema-crazed.com\/blog\/2023\/06\/05\/renfield-2023-dracula-sucks-edition-blu-ray-dvd-digital\/","title":{"rendered":"Renfield (2023): \u2018Dracula Sucks\u2019 Edition [Blu-Ray\/DVD\/Digital]"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Chris McKay\u2019s take on the Dracula dynamic with Renfield has a lot going for it, but it also has so much stacked against it from the starting gate. In a year teeming with Dracula iterations, \u201cRenfield\u201d has a real shot at standing out among the other interpretations of Bram Stoker\u2019s lore, but never really rises to the occasion. That\u2019s mainly because while the concept is interesting \u201cRenfield\u201d never decides what it wants to be. It wants to be a satire on \u201cDracula,\u201d and a commentary on abusive relationships. It tries to be a cop action, a buddy comedy, a vampire film, and straddles the dangerous line of being a satire on the abuser and abused relationship at times.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In this modern monster tale of Dracula’s loyal servant, Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield, the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss, Dracula. Renfield is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, after centuries of servitude, Renfield is ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness. If only he can figure out how to end his codependency.<\/p>\n

Director McKay\u2019s movie is not entirely a slog to sit through, but hiding beneath the massive gore set pieces, and Nic Cage\u2019s hammy performance, there\u2019s a great movie desperate to get out. \u201cRenfield\u201d could very well have been in the spirit of \u201cWhat We Do in the Shadows,\u201d which was a scathing social satire that gave us a new look in to vampires, and their everyday habits. \u201cRenfield\u201d attempts that same formula but never quite allows the premise to breath. The crux of the movie trailers for \u201cRenfield\u201d was his therapy sessions that allowed him to confront his abusive dynamic with Dracula. But these scenes are rare, and are barely a quarter of the movie.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile the whole back story and long tale of Renfield and Dracula is told through abrupt flashbacks that demonstrate only the great special effects. There\u2019s not a ton of insight in to their troubled relationship, and the writers imply a symbolic LGBTQ interplay between the two male characters, but nothing ever comes out of it. The movie is centered mainly on Renfield, Cage\u2019s Dracula, and Awkwafina\u2019s sub-plot involving her as a police officer trying to live up to her deceased father\u2019s legacy. Although I enjoyed her sub-plot, Awkwafina\u2019s entire arc feels painfully tacked on and never really clicks in to the hooplah between Renfield and Dracula.<\/p>\n

For all intents and purposes Awkwafina does a fine job here, as does Nicholas Hoult, whose own boyish charm helps amplify the inherent lunacy of his role as Renfield. As for Cage, he hams it up big time as Dracula, playing him as a flamboyant, seductive, over the top monster. Cage is damn good as Dracula, and he seems to dive right in to the skin of the character until the very end. There\u2019s also the great practical effects which are just dynamite, including some great scenes involving dismemberment, torn limbs, and burnt flesh. \u201cRenfield\u201d is not what I\u2019d consider one of the best horror movies of the year, but it\u2019s a perfectly good horror comedy, and sometimes that\u2019s enough.<\/p>\n

The 2-disc Blu-Ray\/DVD release arrives with a digital HD copy of the film. Featured in the \u201cDracula Sucks\u201d edition is a over an hour of bells and whistles including an\u00a0Audio Commentary with Producer Samantha Nisenboim, Screenwriter Ryan Ridley, and Crew.<\/strong> There are 18 minutes of Deleted and Extended Scenes<\/strong>, and 3 minutes of\u00a0Alternate Takes<\/strong>. There\u2019s the 5 minutes\u00a0Dracula UnCaged<\/strong> with Cage talking about what drew him to the role, and his influences by Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee and others. The 13 minutes\u00a0Monsters & Men: Behind the Scenes of Renfield<\/strong>\u00a0offers an in-depth look at the film\u2019s\u00a0cast, sets, and costumes.<\/p>\n

The 6 minutes\u00a0Stages of Rejuvenation<\/strong> features the special makeup effects team talking about\u00a0four stages of Dracula\u2019s transformation in the film. The 5 minutes\u00a0Flesh & Blood <\/strong>explores the myriad gore-gags created for the film, the 6 minutes\u00a0Fighting Dirty<\/strong> features stunt coordinator Christopher Brewster getting into the\u00a0execution of the movie’s action-packed stunt work. Finally, there\u2019s the 4 minutes\u00a0The Making of a Deleted Scene: Renfield\u2019s Dance!<\/strong> which features star Nicholas Hoult and choreographer Kathryn Burns further elaborating on the fantasy musical number that was cut from the film (but featured in the deleted scenes).<\/p>\n