Every now and then I see a movie that combines several of my niche interests and make the joke that it was made specifically for me. When behind-the-scenes photos of Nicolas Cage donning a velvet suit and a widow’s peak reminiscent of Christopher Lee’s 1958 Dracula hit the internet last year, I couldn’t believe my eyes. When I read that Cage planned to channel David Bowie in his portrayal of the famous count, I screamed. What I wasn’t prepared for, however, was how niche Renfield would get on a different, deeper level. I walked in as a horror fan (and Nicolas Cage enthusiast) who loves a good genre film, and walked out feeling healed and validated as a survivor of narcissistic abuse.
After viewing the trailer, I assumed the narcissist support group that Renfield attends – where he speaks at length about his boss – would serve as nothing more than comedic relief. It's a funny concept: Renfield, servant of and assistant to the undead Prince of Darkness, realizes he's in an extremely toxic give-and-take relationship that yields him little-to-no benefit. In the 1931 black-and-white film, we meet Renfield (played then by Dwight Frye), a solicitor who arrives at Dracula's (Bela Lugosi) castle. Renfield is immediately hypnotized by the Count, and it isn't long before he becomes his familiar and does his bidding. The 2023 film smartly recreates scenes from the original, subbing in Cage for Lugosi and Nicolas Hoult for Frye, in order to explain how our hero ended up in a 91-year-long abusive relationship.
