Renfield
Universal Pictures | Release Date: April 14, 2023 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
53
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 49 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
30
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
ColliderMaggie BoccellaMar 31, 2023
Director McKay seems to understand that special balance between terror and camp, and it’s that which makes Renfield, which premiered this week at the Overlook Film Festival, such a delight to watch. Read full review
83
ConsequenceLiz Shannon MillerMar 30, 2023
Renfield knows exactly what it wants to achieve and does so effectively, anchored by its lead performances and some very enjoyable super-violent action sequences which earn its R rating honestly. Read full review
80
Total FilmJamie GrahamApr 12, 2023
While it hardly stays with you like The Invisible Man, Renfield is a fun Friday night at the movies. Read full review
80
EmpireKim NewmanMar 31, 2023
A dark action-comedy rather than a spooky gothic picture, Renfield is pitched to please long-time Dracula fans while reminding new generations that this Count was the first and arguably best monster villain in Hollywood horror history. Read full review
75
Original-CinJim SlotekApr 13, 2023
If Renfield were a serious movie, all the gory fight and slaughter scenes would seem overindulgent. But judging from the audience laugh-meter at the screening I attended, the right decisions were made for the material. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperApr 12, 2023
With Cage delivering the goods in a juicy supporting role, and Hoult and Awkwafina developing a nice buddy-cop type chemistry, Renfield is an uneven but entertaining enough vampire comedy that gets as many laughs from creative slicing and dicing than it does from the dialogue. Read full review
75
The PlaylistMatthew MonagleMar 31, 2023
Even if we don’t overly connect with the personal growth stories of either Renfield or Rebecca, thanks to Cage, “Renfield” is the rare horror-comedy to find the balance between respect and playful irreverence. Read full review
70
IGNMatt DonatoApr 18, 2023
Renfield makes a mess of its story at times, but does a good enough job getting gorgeously gruesome with its vampire action sequences to win us over with cartoonish gore – and Nicolas Cage's Dracula is one for the ages. Read full review
67
The A.V. ClubJordan HoffmanApr 12, 2023
Though Nicholas Hoult is charming as he struggles to find inner strength, Renfield lives or dies by Nic Cage camping it up. And he delivers. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleAlejandra MartinezApr 12, 2023
Despite its faults, the affection the movie has for its predecessor (most notably in its opening black-and-white sequences) is clear and contagious. There’s also fun work being done by the players rounding out the support group, clueless to the gravity of Renfield’s situation until it’s too late. Read full review
65
TheWrapKristen LopezApr 10, 2023
Hoult’s charm and sweetness is tempered by Cage’s showy, maniacal performance as Dracula and it’s frustrating that there aren’t more scenes where the two just play off each other. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireApr 14, 2023
The material meant to beef up this story is so bland and underdeveloped it makes Renfield feel like a sketch concept stretched thin to feature length. Read full review
63
The Associated PressJake CoyleApr 12, 2023
Renfield never lets Cage really sink his teeth into the movie, leaving us still hungry for more. Read full review
63
Movie NationRoger MooreApr 12, 2023
Splattered geysers of blood, ripped off limbs and the like aside, this is a slight comedy, and McKay has the sense to get in, get gory, get his close-ups and get out of there before 93 minutes have passed. That makes for a vampire comedy everybody can sink their teeth into. Read full review
63
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldApr 11, 2023
There are pleasures to be found in Renfield, particularly a stylish black-and-white sequence early on, and in Hoult’s wistfully debonair portrayal of a well-meaning chap trapped in a job he never applied for. But even with its brief running time, the movie runs out of steam too quickly, and Awkwafina’s character in particular seems like a first draft Read full review
63
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottApr 10, 2023
Blending old-school practical effects with computer-enhanced explosions of blood and viscera, Renfield tips its cap to the past without being overly reverential to it. Add in frequent outbursts of meticulously choreographed action sequences, and we end up with a film that is more fun than frightening. Read full review
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