The 2023 action comedy horror film Renfield, starring Nicolas Cage as Count Dracula, is set to air on Film4 tonight at 9pm. The movie, which also features Nicholas Hoult in the title role, is inspired by characters from Bram Stoker's classic novel and its iconic 1931 film adaptation.
Alongside Cage and Hoult, the cast includes Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Brandon Scott Jones and Adrian Martinez. The story follows Renfield, Dracula's long-suffering servant, as he attempts to break free from his toxic relationship and find a new purpose in life.
Early reviews have been positive, with one fan noting: 'I came for Nicolas Cage and was not disappointed. He played an amazing Dracula in the modern world.' Another described the film as 'a lot of fun thematically and visually', while a third praised its 'dark, witty and at times profound' humour.
Cage prepared for his role by studying previous portrayals of Dracula by Bela Lugosi, Frank Langella and Gary Oldman. He said he wanted to 'focus on the movement of the character' and strike 'that perfect tone of comedy and horror', citing An American Werewolf in London as an inspiration. The film's black-and-white opening sequence recreates scenes from the 1931 Dracula, with Cage and Hoult digitally inserted alongside original footage.
