Renfield Ending Explained: What Happens to Dracula in the End?

We’ve all had bosses who drove us up the wall with their demanding nature or controlling impulses. But few have had to deal with bosses like the one R.M. Renfield has to grapple with every day of his life.

Renfield is based on a character from Bram Stoker’s novel “Dracula” and the original 1931 Universal monster movie. Renfield is familiar to Count Dracula (Nicolas Cage), spending his days bringing carcasses for the vampire to devour.

In Renfield’s action-packed ending, the title character faces his inner demons, battles physical ones, and brutally confronts Dracula while leaving room for more misadventures.

Trying to get out of that dynamic is always a challenge, especially when the toxic person you’re dealing with is a bloodthirsty immortal. The movie follows Renfield confronting those challenges head-on as he attempts to create a new life for himself, incurring the wrath of both Dracula and the local Lobo crime family.

The tonally-complicated antics from Renfield’s endeavors eventually lead to an ending that throws much blood, punching, and emotional catharsis at the viewer.

Let’s break down the ending and get into more details.

1. Is Dracula dead in Renfield’s ending?

 Renfield and Rebecca try their hardest to kill Nicolas Cage’s Dracula, but the former henchman notes that killing the Prince of Darkness isn’t so simple. We see Dracula being beaten with medieval weapons, subject to torture devices and chopped up with a chainsaw.

Renfield and Rebecca’s clever attempts to dispose of Dracula’s body won’t keep him gone forever. Dracula’s immortality remains, but he won’t be able to recuperate well from Renfield’s brutal ending without his loyal lackey bringing him fresh supplies of blood and innocent lives. As such, while Dracula isn’t dead, Renfield and Rebecca put a temporary end to his terror.

2. What does Renfield & Rebecca’s brutal attack mean?

Renfield’s final battle between the title character, Dracula, and Rebecca calls back to the film’s underlying themes. Dracula taunts Renfield by telling him his only purpose is the one the vampire gave him. Renfield then declares that he’ll take back his power from his boss – a tip he learned from his support group.

Renfield beating Dracula senselessly to lessen the vampire’s power is the henchman’s way of returning his physical and emotional power from his boss. When Renfield stops obeying Dracula, he takes away his control over him, with the physical assaults also working to decrease Dracula’s physical power.

Brutally attacking Dracula looks more like a rage room for Renfield and Rebecca, who suffer greatly from the vampire’s offensive schemes before Renfield’s credit roll. Rebecca can get revenge on Dracula for attacking her sister and take out her anger on the corruption and wickedness he represents.

Renfield can attack the part of himself that he loathes through Dracula, as he expresses Renfield’s foolish desire for power and immortality. While they may be unable to save the world from widespread corruption and toxicity, Renfield and Rebecca use Dracula as a vessel to attack these ideas.

3. Is Renfield immortal even without Dracula?

Robert Montague Renfield received his immortality and powers from Dracula, who gave him enough abilities to subdue humans and perform supernatural tasks for him. Renfield charges his powers by eating insects. However, it’s unclear if he still requires the capabilities of Dracula to maintain his immortality.

Dracula being disposed of for a long time means that Renfield won’t have access to the vampire’s strengths that can work to strengthen his own. However, Nicholas Hoult’s eponymous character appears to drink Dracula’s blood to restore his health and powers at the movie’s ending.

Renfield only had one pitcher full of Dracula’s blood to drink in Renfield’s ending, so once this supply runs out, he won’t have a quick way to restore his health and abilities.

 Renfield doesn’t detail how the title character’s immortality, Dracula, truly works. Therefore, it’s possible that Renfield could begin to age or be subject to harm as the disembodied main vampire slowly loses his powers. 

4. What Happens to Rebecca & The New Orleans Police Department?

One early twist in Renfield’s story reveals that the majority of the New Orleans Police Department is corrupt, as they do the bidding of the Lobo gang. The power of Lobos has a massive influence over the police department, which leads them to turn on Rebecca as she continues her mission to dismantle their empire.

Since the police captain and many authorities were killed throughout Renfield’s gory fight scenes, Awkwafina’s Rebecca Quincy is one of the few officers left in the film’s conclusion. The Lobo mob’s leaders are seemingly defeated and the corrupt officers are gone in Renfield’s ending.

 Rebecca will likely be able to reshape the force in a manner that tackles the city’s injustices instead of abetting them.

5. Teddy and Bella-Francesca Lobo’s Fates Explained

Ben Schwartz’s character Teddy Lobo briefly becomes Dracula’s new familiar before Renfield’s ending. However, in his big confrontation with R.M. Renfield, Teddy’s bug-fueled powers prove to be no match for the century-old henchman.

When cutting to an X-ray of Teddy’s death, Renfield suggests that the lackey did die, as it isn’t just blood that’s expelled from him. However, Renfield was able to survive brutal stabbings and cuts throughout the movie without suffering significant damage. So, if Teddy possessed similar immortality, he could still be alive.

Regardless, Dracula’s defeat in Renfield’s ending means that Teddy won’t pose too great of a threat to Renfield in the future. If Renfield 2 happens, it’s more than likely that Bella-Francesca will return alongside Dracula to exact revenge on Renfield and Rebecca.

6. How Renfield’s Ending sets up a sequel?

Renfield is still on his redemption arc at the end of the movie, with the story being left open-ended because Dracula technically didn’t die. Since Renfield suggests that Dracula will eventually return, Renfield’s ending sets up the potential for Nicolas Cage’s vampire to appear in a sequel and get revenge on his former familiar. 

Renfield’s ending also teases the potential for a reboot of the Dark Universe, which could lead to spinoffs about other monsters or classic monsters appearing in a Renfield sequel.

For instance, the Lobo gang could be setting up a Wolf Man story. Lobo is also the Spanish word for wolf, with the gang playing up this meaning by wearing wolf masks while committing crimes. Since Teddy’s father wasn’t seen in Renfield, it’s possible that he could return as the Wolf Man, seeking revenge for his son’s death.

7. About Renfield

Renfield is an upcoming American horror comedy film directed by Chris McKay from a screenplay by Ryan Ridley, based on an original idea by Robert Kirkman featuring characters from Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula.

The film stars Nicholas Hoult as the title character, alongside Nicolas Cage as Count Dracula, with Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, and Adrian Martinez in supporting roles.

Renfield will have its world premiere at the Overlook Film Festival on March 30, 2023, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on April 14, 2023, by Universal Pictures.