Why Is Renfield Rated R? What Parents Should Know Before Letting Their Kids Watch

Vampires. The very mention of the mythological monster invokes imagery of mist-filled nights, bats, coffins, and of course blood. As creatures of the night, vampires must sustain their unholy lives by consuming the blood of the living, which makes those afflicted with vampirism perpetual stalkers and killers. Although the upcoming "Renfield" features a cast of well-known actors like Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, and Awkafina, it seems that the film is definitely not appropriate for children. As such, the movie has received an R-rating in the United States.

According to Parent Previews, "Renfield" is rated R because it features violence, gore, drug use, and language. Going into details, the website notes that people are killed in all manner of bloody ways, which is fitting for a movie about a vampire. Aside from violence, "Renfield" also features 72 sexual expletives and 32 scatological curses. In other words, violence and language make up the bulk of the reason why "Renfield" shouldn't be seen by the youngest among us. 

Appearing on Kevin Smith's podcast (via ComingSoon), producer Robert Kirkman described "Renfield" by saying, "It's a fun, extremely violent comedy because I've got a crutch, and it's violence."

Checking out the trailer for "Renfield," one can see exactly why "Renfield" isn't meant for children. Aside from the focus on toxic relationships, Dracula (Nicolas Cage) has no qualms about leaning into his vampiric nature and, even in the trailer, he can be seen dispatching several people. On top of vampires doing what vampires do best, one scene even features the titular character Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) gaining superhero-like powers from ingesting a spider, allowing him to slice off somebody's arm with a serving plate easily.

However, it is important to realize that "Renfield" isn't a straight horror film, and that there are plenty of comedic elements to the movie to lessen the over-the-top violence and gore perhaps. Speaking with Syfy, Cage explained that it was important for "Renfield" to balance comedy and horror. "So I was always trying to be conscious of the tone of this particular piece," Cage said. "It's an R-rated fantasy, but it's hilarious and that's a balance that you have to find. Thankfully, Nic [Hoult] is someone who has tremendous wit and comic timing, so we were able to riff off of each other. I was always thinking about that." 

Still, despite the humorous aspects of "Renfield," it probably isn't a good idea to bring children to see the film in theaters.