2023 has been another jam packed year for the horror genre. So much so that some bloody delights got lost in the theatrical shuffle. Sadly one of those films wasRenfieldfrom directorChris McKay. The UniversalDracula, which feature starsNicholas Houltas the title manservant andNicolas Cageas the famed Prince of Darkness, took a stake to the heart at the box office when it released this past April. However, that hasn’t stopped the monster horror comedy from gaining a bloodthirsty cult following and now, thanks toTurbine Media,Renfield’s coming to 4K with a gothic new steelbook.
The 4K/Blu-ray combo pack comes with the same special features as theprevious physical media release, but this is the first time the film is coming to the 4K format. The release also comes with a hard slipcover case that features the moody theatrical poster artwork ofCage’s Draculahovering overHoult’s Renfield. The steelbook itself has the character posters of Dracula and Renfield on each side of it, beautifully highlighting the fun marketing material that accompanied this wacky monster movie. This is a German release so the Blu-ray is region locked, but the 4K is region free. There are no signs ofRenfieldgetting a 4K in the US and, at least for now, so this is a physical media collector’s best option.
Dracula Defines Toxic Relationships
The unique hook ofRenfieldwas that it used Dracula and his wimpy manservant as an allegory fortoxic relationships. That both added to the story’s comedy and somber tragedy. One minute this film will make you laugh your fangs out of your mouth only for the next moment to possess you to drop your jaw in delightful horror as the hard-R blood-soaked nature takes over. At the center of that is Cage and Hoult’s irresistible chemistry. Cage, in particular, was born to play Dracula and, being a Universal film, they were able to reenact the classicBela Lugosimoments with the beloved actor.
Renfield’s a love letter to Universal monster movies, a hilarious rom-com, asplatter-festthat will make any gore-lover happy, and a meaningful story about finding the strength to be an independent human being in a world full of monsters. It doesn’t try to reinvent the vampire wheel, butRenfieldknows exactly what it was and plays to its gleefully zany strengths. That’s why it deserves to be watched by a larger audience. At the moment, there’s no concrete release date forRenfield’s 4K steelbook yet, but we should expect it to release by the end of the year or in early 2024. Until then, you can pre-order the steelbook onTurbine’s website.Renfield’s alsocurrently streamingonPeacock.
