MovieChat Forums > Renfield (2023) Discussion > I loved it; it's tremendously fun

I loved it; it's tremendously fun


Just finished watching this movie and I thought it was a blast.

The movie's central theme about codependency and abusive relationships is handled really well. Making the "abusive relationship" Renfield and Dracula allows the filmmakers to explore the subject without making it feel heavy-handed or preachy. It lets them have fun with the concept, too. It can be entertaining and funny without making light of that very real problem.

The side-characters are all really well performed, too. And, although they take up a little too much of the runtime, I was always enjoying the characterisations of the cop and the drug-dealing son and so forth.

I do hear the complaint people have that the film is pulled in too many directions, and I agree. It does get lost by giving us Renfield's story, Rebecca's story of avenging her father and rooting out corruption in the police force, and we also get the drug dealing family thrown in... it's a lot and it could have used a bit more focusing.

With that said, because they use the drug-dealing family to show another abusive relationship (the mom and the son), it's not like it's wasted completely.

Cage steals the show. Every gesture he does is perfect. I know people say he's not in it much and should be in it more - that's fair - but too much of this great thing might have spoiled it. With that said, it would have been nice to see more of the Dracula/Renfield relationship.

With a lot of great laughs, some interesting theme exploration, and some fun and creative action scenes, I had a great time with Renfield.

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its stupid and fun.....just a popcorn movie.

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Well, I found it to be a little more interesting than a popcorn movie, although I do agree that it is broadly in that category. It does have a little something to say about abusive relationships, even if it's not going terribly in-depth.

But, also, as a popcorn movie, it is well put-together, a tonne of fun, and I would put it as a terrific popcorn movie. So, even though most of it is fluff, it's still terrific. I don't need everything to have as much depth as Arrival or Seven Samurai.

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't disagree with your comment, but it seems dismissive? Am I right there? I would argue that it's a terribly fun movie and well worth the investment.

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Yeah it’s a great movie.

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💯

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It was a fun watch in theaters. I'm not a fan of Akwafina's portrayal of Rebecca. It's alright though because I enjoyed the movie in spite of her story not panning out as well as the codependency issue.

Nicholas Cage was awesome.

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I loved her character. I think this is the first time I've seen Awkwafina in a movie, and I didn't know she was in it, so I had no preconceptions of what she could do. I don't know if that made me more charitable towards her, but while I wouldn't say that she did a brilliant performance, I really liked the character. The unnecessarily angry "F*** you, Kyle!" was funny.

Rebecca's storyline could have been better. I would have liked to have seen them tie it into the abusive relationship/codependency thing more closely. I liked that Rebecca gave Renfield a bit of a "template" or inspiration for standing up for himself, but I thought maybe if she was codependent with her sister, or if she started dominating Renfield (and he was just swapping domineering partners) - something along those lines - it could have been a stronger thematic tie and made the storyline feel less tacked-on. I also liked that Renfield also taught Rebecca that she should value her sister more by sharing about his wife and daughter.

Nic Cage rules. Even when he's bad, he's the man.

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Yes. I'm surprised it came and went unnoticed. It's a good fun movie. Should be cult classic.

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I hope more and more people find it. It's a neat, little gem. Imperfect? Sure, but it's just such fun.

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