Renfield (2023): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Ending
Renfield is a 2023 fantasy horror film directed by Chris McKay, starring Nicholas Hoult as Renfield, Nicolas Cage and Ben Schwartz. It runs 1 hour 33 minutes and earned $26.5 million worldwide on a $65 million budget. It won 1 award from 5 nominations, including Best Supporting Actor in a Film at the Saturn Awards 2024. Critics gave it 58% on Rotten Tomatoes and 53 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.4/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 33m (93 min)
- Director
- Chris McKay
- Original language
-
English
- Studio
- Universal Pictures
- Budget
- $65M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Renfield About?
The premise of Renfield without spoilers. The whole story and the ending explained are in the plot summary further down.
Nicholas Hoult portrays Renfield, the long-suffering assistant to the flamboyant and demanding Dracula, played by Nicolas Cage. Seeking freedom from his master's monstrous schemes and a chance at a normal life, Renfield struggles to escape a codependent relationship and forge his own path, leading to darkly comedic consequences.
Renfield Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- vampire
- police officer
- support group
- dracula character
- female cop
- new orleans louisiana
- villain
- super villain
- swarm of bats
- stylized violence
- slow motion scene
- one against many
+38 more Show fewer
- superhuman strength
- police corruption
- police
- massacre
- urban setting
- henchman
- violence
- gore
- master servant relationship
- sister sister relationship
- urban fantasy
- count dracula
- mother son relationship
- crime family
- family matriarch
- vampire horror
- eating insect
- insect
- count dracula character
- horror comedy
- splatter horror
- torture chamber
- vampire familiar
- no opening credits
- inmate
- gothic
- love
- haunting
- policewoman
- southern gothic
- supernatural power
- evil
- evil man
- good versus evil
- character's point of view camera shot
- dutch angle
- freeze frame
- montage
Renfield Cast & Characters
Nicholas Hoult leads the cast as Renfield, with Nicolas Cage as Dracula and Ben Schwartz as Tedward Lobo. Directed by Chris McKay; 13 actors are credited in all.
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Director Chris McKay
-
Nicholas Hoult as Renfield -
Nicolas Cage as Dracula -
Ben Schwartz as Tedward Lobo -
Awkwafina as Rebecca
Also Starring in Renfield
· 9 more- Camille Chen Kate
- Shohreh Aghdashloo Bellafrancesca Lobo
- Adrian Martinez Chris
- Derek Russo Brice
- James Moses Black Captain Browning
- Jenna Kanell Carol
- Brandon Scott Jones Mark
- Bess Rous Caitlyn
- K. Steele
More from Chris McKay
More films directed by Chris McKay, best-rated first: The LEGO Batman Movie, The Tomorrow War, Batman Is Just Not That Into You and Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode III.
Renfield Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Renfield 58% on Rotten Tomatoes and 53 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.4/10. Our Echo Score gives it 71/100, strongest in rewatch factor (80) and weakest in story & flow (60).
Renfield Echo Score Breakdown
Renfield delivers a mixed experience that leans toward entertainment rather than artistic ambition. The film benefits from Nicolas Cage’s flamboyant performance and a handful of visually striking action set‑pieces, while its narrative structure feels uneven and its pacing inconsistent. Supporting cast moments add occasional charm, but the overall cohesion remains elusive. Consequently, the movie offers generally moderate enjoyment with notable flaws.
Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.
- Art & Craft 72
Artistic execution in Renfield is uneven, with moments of visual flair offset by technical slip‑ups. The practical gore effects and occasional striking cinematography, such as the POV vampire shot, demonstrate creativity, yet editing choices produce choppy pacing and some over‑processed CGI. Overall, the film’s craft is competent but inconsistent.
- Character & Emotion 70
Character work centers on Nicolas Cage’s over‑the‑top Dracula and Nicholas Hoult’s anxious Renfield, both delivering energetic performances that anchor the film. Supporting actors provide occasional humor, yet chemistry between the leads feels thin, and deeper emotional arcs are underdeveloped. Consequently, the character dimension is lively but lacks substantive connection.
- Story & Flow 60
Storywise, Renfield attempts a fresh horror‑comedy premise but falls into a formulaic pattern. The plot oscillates between goofy set‑pieces and rushed exposition, resulting in uneven pacing and a vague climax. While the concept offers potential, execution feels hurried and the narrative cohesion remains weak.
- Sensory Experience 73
Sensory elements blend vivid gore with a pulpy aesthetic, delivering moments of striking visual texture. The soundtrack complements comedic beats, and sound design accentuates the cartoonish blood splatter. Nevertheless, some auditory cues feel excessive, and the over‑the‑top violence may alienate certain viewers. Overall, the sensory experience is engaging yet polarizing.
- Rewatch Factor 80
Rewatch potential hinges on the film’s comedic vigor and Cage’s memorable performance, which many viewers cite as a reason to return. The blend of gory set‑pieces and occasional witty dialogue provides occasional fun moments on subsequent viewings. However, narrative thinness and inconsistent tone limit lasting appeal. Consequently, the movie offers moderate replay value, especially for fans of campy horror comedy.
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IMDb 6.4 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 58% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 78%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 53 Metascore
User score 6.3
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 64% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 2.9 /5
359570 ratings
See on Letterboxd -
Movie Insider 3.8 /5
See on Movie Insider
Renfield Plot Summary & Ending Explained
What happens in Renfield from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events and the ending explained. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In the early 20th century, a Transylvanian vampire named Count Dracula encounters an English lawyer, R. M. Renfield, who initially hopes to negotiate a land deal but inadvertently becomes Dracula’s familiar. For many years, Renfield has depended on supernatural abilities fueled by his consumption of bugs. However, after a harrowing encounter with some determined vampire hunters who nearly end his life, the duo relocates to New Orleans to recuperate.
Full summary
The whole story of Renfield, scene by scene, with the ending explained
Renfield Box Office & Budget
Renfield grossed $26.5 million worldwide on a $65 million budget, 41% of what it cost. $17.3 million came from the US and Canada and $9.2 million (35%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$26.5M
41% of its budget back
- US & Canada
- $17.3M
- International
- $9.2M
- Budget
- $65M
Renfield Awards & Nominations
Renfield won 1 award from 5 nominations, including Best Supporting Actor in a Film at the Saturn Awards 2024.
1 win5 nominations1 ceremony
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Saturn Awards 2024 1 win · 5 nominations- Won Best Supporting Actor in a Film – Nicolas Cage
- Nominated Best Film Production Designer
- Nominated Best Horror Film
- Nominated Best Make‑Up in a Film
- Nominated Best Music in a Film
Renfield Trailers & Videos
12 videos: 4 trailers, 1 teaser, 3 clips, 3 featurettes and 1 behind-the-scenes video.
- Trailer Official International Trailer (Redband)
- Trailer Final Trailer
- Trailer International Final Trailer (Redband)
- Teaser Digital & Blu-ray Promo
How Well Do You Know Renfield?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What was Renfield's profession before he became Dracula's servant?
Cars in Renfield
31 cars on screen, including the 2021 Dodge Challenger and the 2007 Cadillac Escalade.
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2021 Dodge Challenger Main role -
2007 Cadillac Escalade Important role -
2015 Cadillac Escalade Important role -
2021 Cadillac Escalade Important role
Renfield Also Known As
19 alternative titles, including “Renfield: Dando Sangue pelo Chefe” and “吸血鬼奴才: 雷菲爾”.
- Also known as
-
- Renfield: Dando Sangue pelo Chefe
- 吸血鬼奴才: 雷菲爾
- 린필드
- 吸血鬼奴才:蕾菲爾
- เรนฟิลด์
- Renfield: Tay Sai Của Quỷ
- Ренфийлд
- 렌필드
- レンフィールド
- Renfield: Asistente de vampiro
- 雷恩菲尔德
- Ренфилд
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- Ренфілд
- 吸血鬼特助:雷菲爾
- רנפילד
- رنفیلد
- Renfildas
- Ρένφιλντ, რენფილდი
- Asistentul vampirului
Seen Renfield?
Movies Like Renfield
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Dracula and Son, Drácula and Vamps.
Renfield FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Renfield, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Renfield?
Renfield runs 1 hour 33 minutes (93 minutes).
When was Renfield released?
Renfield was released on April 14, 2023.
Who directed Renfield?
Renfield was directed by Chris McKay.
More films by Chris McKay Who is in the cast of Renfield?
Renfield stars Nicholas Hoult as Renfield, Nicolas Cage as Dracula and Ben Schwartz as Tedward Lobo, among 13 credited actors.
How much did Renfield make at the box office?
Renfield grossed $26.5 million worldwide ($17.3 million domestic, $9.2 million international) on a budget of $65 million.
How is Renfield rated?
Renfield has 6.4/10 on IMDb, 58% on Rotten Tomatoes, 53 on Metacritic and 64% on TMDB.
What awards did Renfield win?
Renfield won 1 award from 5 nominations, including Best Supporting Actor in a Film at the Saturn Awards 2024.
Does Renfield have a post-credit scene?
No. Renfield has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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