‘Renfield’ Ending Explained: Does Renfield Manage to Get Out of the Toxic Relationship with His Boss, Dracula?

Welcome to the Ending Explained for Renfield, a new horror action film that is arriving in theaters this Friday, April 14th. The film is directed by Chris McKay and produced by none other than Robert Kirkman, the creator behind The Walking Dead. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, and Ben Schwartz. It tells the story of Renfield, a loyal servant of Dracula, who might need to put things to rest with his boss after centuries of servitude because he wants his autonomy back. However, with kind eyes, Dracula might not see that his servant wants to leave him.

Renfield is part of the new formula that Universal Pictures has been using recently, which consists of major motion picture releases followed by a number of smaller releases that are made with very tiny budgets and are often a high-concept affairs. Violent Night served as the Christmas movie that followed this formula last year, and now Renfield does the same. The film should have been released in October for Halloween, but here it is, and the result is a violent and funny tale of Dracula in modern times.

The following paragraphs contain spoilers for Renfield. Read at your own risk.

Why Is Renfield Depressed?

As the film starts, we get introduced to our main character, Robert Montague Renfield, or Renfield for short. He tells us the story of how he met Count Dracula centuries ago. It was all supposed to be just a business enterprise that would make him rich. Rich enough to provide for his wife and daughter back in England. However, this was not the case. Renfield abandons them and stay with Dracula as his loyal servant. We see Dracula fighting vampire hunters, and even when he wants to, Renfield is unable to help them kill his master. He is codependent.

We jump back to modern times and see that things are not going as well for Dracula and Renfield. The modern world is dangerous, and these two are still stuck in the past. Renfield captures human beings on the streets so that Dracula can drink their blood. It is a thankless job, and Renfield wishes he could just leave immediately. But he can’t. Dracula has convinced Renfield that he is the only person who cares for him—the only person who understands him and the only person who would ever call him a friend.

Renfield finds himself at a support group for people in toxic relationships. He seems to be there to find victims for Lord Dracula. But he has been going for a while, and now he knows these people better than he has ever known anyone in decades. He has decided that instead of hurting the people who are part of the support group, he will hurt the people who cause problems for the people in the group. On this night, he visits the boyfriend of one of the girls in the group, and this event will change his life forever.

Renfield arrives at the guy’s place and finds him with his friends. These men are pretty criminals, and they believe that Renfield is a hitman who has come to kill them for stealing drugs. The real hitman arrives, and Renfield kills everyone thanks to the powers he has received from Dracula, which give him supernatural strength and agility. He takes the victims to Dracula, who despises them for being bad-quality humans. He needs innocent people. Those have the best blood.

Does Renfield Manage To Get Out Of The Toxic Relationship With His Boss, Dracula?

At the same time as Renfield has an existential crisis, the movie introduces us to the character of Rebecca. Rebecca is a police officer looking to execute justice in the city. A gang named the Wolves rules the city. They were responsible for her father’s death and still managed to commit crimes. Rebecca believes they have bought the entire police department. Rebecca meets Renfield in a restaurant, and he helps her defeat a number of Wolf members who came to kill her.

Renfield is impressed with Rebecca as she stands up to criminals, and he takes inspiration from her. He goes back to the support group, and they help Renfield realize that Dracula only has power over him because he allows him. Renfield leaves Dracula to his luck while he rents an apartment and begins a new life. Rebecca keeps searching for the people responsible for the drug killings, and soon she finds out that it is Renfield who is responsible and that he might be the biggest serial killer in history.

Dracula finds out about Renfield’s departure and establishes a relationship with the Wolves, who will help him take over the world. Renfield is hurt and scared, leaving to warn the support group that they are Dracula’s next target. However, Dracula arrives and kills them all. Renfield gets arrested, but the Wolves betray Rebecca, and now it is just the two of them against the world. Renfield explains how Dracula took dominion over him but concludes that what happened was his fault for greed.

In the end, Rebecca and Renfield decide that it is time to fight back, and they attack the Wolves’ HQ head-on. The battle is bloody, but Dracula is defeated after being put inside a magic circle made of cocaine. Renfield defeats the Wolves members, who also received powers, and Rebecca takes her revenge on the criminal gang. As the movie ends, they chop Dracula in small pieces, mix his remains with concrete, and throw them in the sewers. They also use Dracula’s blood to revive everyone in the support group.