Renfield debuts with strong Rotten Tomatoes rating after first reviews
Nicolas Cage's new Dracula incarnation Renfield has received a strong Rotten Tomatoes rating after the first reviews landed.
The comedy-horror, directed by Chris McKay, follows the famous Count Dracula's (Cage) assistant Renfield, played by The Menu's Nicholas Hoult, who after centuries of obeying his master's every command is ready to serve his own agenda.
While the film has opened to mostly positive reviews, it has already scored a solid rating from critics of 86% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Related: Renfield's Nicholas Hoult explains how it's a new take on Dracula
Alongside a fresh rating, Empire's Kim Newman wrote: "It's a horror-comic orgy of gore, with any number of bad guys torn to pieces, but occasionally pauses for poignant moments about the life Renfield lost by submitting to his master and unusual spins on vampire lore."
As The Wrap's Kristen Lopez teased: "Renfield is a great example of how Universal could resurrect its Dark Universe. Take tangential characters or questions audiences have wondered about and find a way to explore them."
"While it is no groundbreaking Dracula story, Renfield is a genuinely hilarious twist on the all-too-familiar vampire narrative. The R-rated comedy genre and Universal's monster sandbox have been begging for a new classic. This delivers across the board," shared ComicBook's Liam Crowley.
Meanwhile, Cage has teased that one scene in particular is set to turn fans' stomachs, as they won't know whether to gasp in horror or break out laughing.
Related: X-Men's Nicholas Hoult addresses potential MCU appearance
"Nic Hoult punches somebody's head off in the movie. I don't think I've ever seen that in a movie before, that's new," Cage said. "I like the whole scene with Dracula going on a rampage in the support group. Obviously it's all wrong and hilarious and horrible all at the same time."
In preparation for the role, Cage studied previous incarnations of the Transylvanian vampire including Frank Langella's 1979 version of Dracula and Gary Oldman's take in 1992.
Speaking about their movie, the Face/Off actor added: "What makes it super fun is that it's a comedy. And when you get that tone right – comedy and horror – like An American Werewolf in London, it's a blast."
Renfield is released in cinemas on April 14.
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