It’s Halloween. The perfect week to watch not just one but two vampire films. Before we have our special event, screening the oldest vampire movie, we start with the newest and quite different interpretation of Dracula and his forgotten servant Renfield.

After nearly a century of servitude, Renfield has grown tired of being the ever-loyal familiar supplying his master, Dracula, with very human, bloody meals. Seeking redemption, he joins a self-help group to explore the depths of his toxic relationship and share his struggles with like-minded individuals. However, this leads our protagonist down a path riddled with corpses and crime syndicates, prompting him to carefully navigate the streets of New Orleans to avoid getting caught. Joining him on this adventure is police officer Rebecca Quincy, who sees Renfield for what he could be and is determined to root out the corruption within the force and the city. Armed with bug-fueled superhuman powers and a thirst for revenge, the two join forces to bite back at the evil nestled in the core of it all.

This new take on the story is set up as a sequel to the original story and tells it through witty jokes and very graphic violence that provokes gasps and laughs alike. Hoult’s Renfield is bursting with expression and the audience really gets to see and feel his inner struggle through the different phases of fear and optimism.