Renfield is an exaggerated, campy, and self-aware over-the-top film that is filled with gruesome and gory scenes while also being hilarious and extremely entertaining. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.
Renfield releases in theaters across the United States this Friday, April 14, 2023. The film stars Nicolas Cage (Count Dracula), Nicholas Hoult (Renfield), Awkwafina (Rebecca Quincy), Ben Schwartz (Teddy Lobo), Brandon Scott Jones (Mark), Adrian Martinez (Chris Marcos), Shohreh Aghdashloo (Ella), Bess Rous (Caitlyn), and Jenna Kanell (Carol). The film is written by Ryan Ridley and Robert Kirkman and directed by Chris McKay, best known for his films The Tomorrow War and The LEGO Batman Movie. Check out the details in my parents guide movie review.
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Renfield Movie Quotes
Renfield Parents Guide
In Renfield: Renfield, the tortured aide to his narcissistic boss, Dracula, is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding. However, after centuries of servitude, he’s ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of the Prince of Darkness.
Renfield Age Rating Parents Guide
Let’s take a look at what parents need to know about the age rating of the movie before letting their younger children watch Renfield.
Language: Renfield contains stronger words, with uses of profanity throughout. Lookout words include: f*ck, sh*t, b*tch, a**h*le, g-d d*mn, tw*t, and d*mn.
Mature Content: The biggest concern for parents in this horror film is the acts of violence, strong language, use of profanity, and drug use. Characters are shown in explicit scenes wielding guns, swords, and other weapons and adult material. The death count in the film is extremely high, with visible wounds and each death being more gruesome and outrageous, showing characters guts spewing out, having their heads punched off, getting bitten and slashed by Dracula, getting kicked so hard they lose their bowels, and other gross and grotesque scenes. While the movie is a bit campy, there are some jump-scare moments that will freak out some viewers. Drugs are a central theme of the movie, as it revolves around a crime family involved in smuggling cocaine.
Age Rating of Renfield: Universal Pictures Renfield has an R rating for use of violence, bloody violence, gore, snippets of language, and drug use content, and the parental guidelines advisory recommends it for an adult audience, younger adults, and teens aged 17 and older. The suggestion of parental guidance or an adult guardian is highly suggested for young kids (or older kids) under 17 years of age for this restricted R category and considered in the R-rated motion pictures or M rating. The minimum age recommendation is 17 years old; it is not suitable for young children. Young viewers are not recommended to view this film. The film contains drug abuse, but no sex scenes no brief nudity, sexual material, or sexual expletives.
Overall Thoughts
Renfield is exactly the type of movie you might expect it to be: campy, over-the-top, goofy, gory, extremely gory and grotesque, and a whole lot of fun. The film knows what it is, is totally self-aware, and embraces it all. It doesn’t try to push an agenda or preach to its audience, although there is a message in there somewhere about standing up for yourself and what is right, but more of that message is masked by spewing guts and gore.
One of the very best parts of Renfield is the performance given by Nicolas Cage, who plays Count Dracula, and I couldn’t have thought of a more appropriate actor for the role. Cage has proven to be a legend of his time and is superb in the role, nailing the absurdity of the character while also delivering a fright. Cage has terrific chemistry along side his costar Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road), who plays Renfield himself, who perfected the meekness of the character so well, he stood out when needed and easily slinked into the background to allow more assertive characters to take center stage when need be. Having Awkwafina cast alongside Hoult was a brilliant decision; her squeaky voice and animated style were the antithesis to the more bland character Hoult plays. While Awkwafina is known for her comedic roles, she also had some more serious moments in this film, aiding in delivering the message of standing up for what is right, which really had the audience getting behind and rooting for her character. I could not wrap up this review without mentioning Ben Schwartz, who plays bad guy Teddy Lobo in Renfield. Schwartz is a master when it comes to improv, and some of his more laugh out loud moments in the film are so off the wall, one has to wonder if it as scripted or not.
Overall, Renfield is pure insanity that is loads of fun. It will shock viewers, especially with many of the gory death scenes that just get more outrageous and imaginative as the story progresses. Once you think you have “seen it all,” the film will be like, “Hold my wooden stack” and deliver more. While the scenes are gross, gory, and outrageous, they are never done in a “scary” way but in a more animated and wacky way. Run, don’t walk, so see Renfield when it is released this Friday. If you don’t, you are just as lame as Kyle.
