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Many say that Dracula walked so Twilight and The Vampire Diaries could run, and they might have a point. This iconic gothic character has a long history and has been terrifying generations of readers. Its popularity has only been paralleled by Frankenstein. Following its introduction in Bram Stoker's book, Dracula, this character has been adapted into several movies, the latest of them being Renfield.
Renfield, the newest Dracula movie, has been buzzing all over social media since the start of the year. Set to release on April 14, 2023, this movie has already earned a solid 7.1 on IMDb and 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
With director Chris McKay, who is famous for The Lego Movie, The LEGO Batman Movie, and The War Tomorrow, and a cast that boasts Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hault, Brandon Scott Jones, and Ben Schwartz, the Dracula movie seems worth the hype it has created.
Ahead of the release of Renfield, this article will take a quick look at five other such films that are absolutely essential on every horror movie watchlist.
Nicholas Cage’s Renfield and top 5 other Dracula movies that are cult classics
1) Renfield (2023)
This movie will be loosely based on Bram Stoker’s original novel Dracula, but with an added twist.
Unlike other Dracula movies, here, the character of Dracula is not at the center. Instead, it is his lackey Renfield. In the modern world of New Orleans, Renfield falls in love with a normal woman who is a traffic police officer. Through the power of love, he finally gathers the courage to try and break free of Dracula’s control.
This Nicolas Cage movie is set to release soon, and judging by its current ratings on IMDb, it can be gauged that it will have a promising run at the box office.
2) Hotel Transylvania (2012)
This horror comedy film is one of the most endearing Dracula movies you will ever see. An animated movie, its take was to turn the iconic gothic character into an entrepreneur, a modern-day hustler hotelier who caters to monsters and their loved ones.
When the hotel Transylvania gets its first-ever human guest, Dracula puts all his effort into protecting his daughter Mavis and preventing her from developing a bond with the human. However, the two eventually end up growing close, as a result of which Mavis' father learns to set aside his prejudice against humans and accept the new member.
This movie was a huge commercial success with many sequels and spin-offs. It even had its own TV show. It has some of the best comedic geniuses of Hollywood, like Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg, and also includes Selena Gomez. Although the movie is made with children in mind, viewers of every age have found it enjoyable.
3)Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
This movie came from the mind of director Francis Ford Coppola, who is famous for movies such as The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, Megalopolis, and much more.
Starring Winona Ryder and Gary Oldman, the movie follows Vlad Dracula swallowed by grief and anger from the death of his beloved Elisabeta. However, he soon meets Mina and takes her to be the reincarnation of her beloved Elisabeta.
The movie has a very uncanny take on Bram Stoker’s book of the same name. The central character is given much more depth and dimension. Alongside Oldman and Ryder, many prominent names like Keanu Reeves, Anthony Hopkins, Monica Bellucci, and Sadie Frost were also seen on screen.
4) Nosferatu The Vampyre (1979)
Usually, people have lower expectations from remakes of successful movies due to it being treated as a cash-grab opportunity most of the time. However, Werner Herzog is no ordinary director. His remake of the 1922 horror film Nosferatu established a roadmap in how one can work with an existing material and yet make it their own.
The original film was made in between world wars, so the resources were scarce. However, this film had relatively more at its disposal, and it used them to its utmost advantage.
Many aspects of the story were worked on, and the character saw an evolution from a bloodthirsty monster to a more sympathetic being. The cast included Klaus Kinski, Isabelle Adjani, and Bruno Ganz.
5) Dracula (1931)
Universal Pictures is one of the biggest movie production houses at the moment. However, the thing that kept it from going bankrupt once was this movie. It is a classic - both due to its contribution to cinematic history and Bela Lugosi’s performance.
Alongside him were Edward Van Sloan and Dwight Frye, who also did an amazing job of giving the movie a well-rounded edge.
The plot follows Dracula after he has enslaved Renfield and is now headed toward Carfax Abbey, where his sinister intentions bring tragedy.
This is truly a masterpiece for horror lovers and will forever remain iconic. Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, as the theme of this movie, is truly spine-chilling and is often touted by critics one of the greatest decisions ever made in film history.
6) Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)
One of the pioneer cinemas of the German Expressionist movement, this movie is an all-time classic. It has so many deaths and body counts by a killer that it can almost be classified as a proto-slasher. From the setting to the set design, everything transports readers far away from reality into a dark world.
The plot follows Hutter, who is sent to work for a count named Orlock. However, it is soon apparent that something is not right, and he realizes that Orlock is Dracula. With Orlock's next target being Hutter's wife, viewers see the tussle that unfolds between Hutter and his master.
This was back in the time when Germany was going through the effects of World War I and was heading into the second one. The dark and weird backgrounds are supposed to symbolize the oppressive German regime, a part of the Expressionism movement of the time.
The cast of this movie includes Max Schreck, Gustav von Wangenheim, Greta Schröder, Alexander Granach, Ruth Landshoff, and Wolfgang Heinz.
While all the aforementioned movies have kept audiences engaged, the hype around Renfield (2023) comes from the fact that after a long time, viewers will see a live-action take on Dracula that looks extremely promising. All of these movies are worth a watch to catch up with the lore, before viewers head to see Nicolas Cage's upcoming Renfield.
