Story: Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) has served his master for centuries, but he has started to have some doubts about his career path. After all, despite being the best assistant anyone could ask for, his boss Dracula (Nicolas Cage) has never shown much appreciation. He has chased down prey to feed his master’s hunger, battled heroes looking to put a stake into his heart, and managed Dracula’s erratic moods, but Renfield is ready for a change. Of course, that won’t go over so well with his boss, so he has to handle things just right. After meeting a group of people that have trauma from narcissists in their lives, Renfield takes the plunge and decides to abandon his position, but will Dracula make sure this is a temporary vacation?

Entertainment Value: This was a fun one, as Renfield delivers and then some on the premise and never fails to entertain. The concept alone, Nicolas Cage as Dracula, is likely enough to lure in most viewers, but there is so much more here, though his performance is excellent. The story of standing up to a bad boss is by no means a new one, but here it comes off as fresh, in part due to involving the vampiric elements. The relatable material worked into this over the top, outlandish world of the supernatural works so well, while being a big reason the well worn premise is so effective here. There are fight scenes that involve wild gore and bloodshed, often to ends so off the wall, the violence is hilariously over the top. Arms torn off, stomped in half, and other mutilated in ridiculous ways, all while fountains of blood shower everywhere on screen. So there are horror vibes here, despite the humor, which again, creates an interesting dynamic. I had a blast with Renfield, a violent, hilarious, and visually charged ride that earns a high recommendation.

Nicolas Cage as Dracula was going to get attention and while some were displeased with the casting choice, I think Cage nailed the role and surpassed all expectations. He does indeed provide moments of his signature manic, over the top persona, but he balances that with some genuine scariness. Cage really dives in and crafts his own take on the legendary vampire, so this never feels like a rehash or even a tribute, instead Cage takes his own road and gives us a memorable take on the character. His facial expressions are hilarious and outlandish, but also eerie and again, he does bring some horror vibes to the role, which helps a lot. I can’t imagine what else people would want here, he takes a supporting role and steals the show at times, while not stepping on his costars, so I think this was a terrific effort from Cage. The cast also includes Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Brandon Scott Jones.

The Disc: Universal launches Renfield on Blu-ray in a gorgeous visual presentation. The image is super clean and sharp, with incredible depth and detail. The movie has some dynamic visuals and they shine here, especially the rich colors and smooth contrast. I was really impressed with this treatment, as the visuals come alive and this treatment lets the movie look its best. The extras start off with an informative audio commentary that is filled with crew members of all kinds, so many perspectives are covered here. The track is a little crowded at times perhaps, but overall, this is a good session. You can also watch a host of behind the scenes featurettes, from the fight scene work to Cage’s turn as Dracula and beyond, so these might be short in duration, but combined they offer some decent insight into the production. There are also deleted and alternate scenes included.

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