In this day and age, cancel culture is a highly controversial topic, and a phenomenon that can see anyone from a prolific celebrity to a heavily-followed athlete being shunned from society. Of course, the idea of “canceling” someone is an action performed after this particular person either says or does something that is generally frowned-upon in the eyes of modern-day humankind. And while the term typically relates to real-life people, it’s becoming more and more apparent that Count Dracula could be one of the first characters to ever be canceled.
The possibility has become heightened over the last several weeks, especially after the full-length trailer for Renfield showcased Nicolas Cage’s vampire as a needy, over-manipulative, narcissistic member of the undead who forces his servant R. M. Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) to capture unsuspecting victims and lure them back to Dracula’s lair so he can eat them. Talk about exploitative labor practices and unequal power dynamic! Count Dracula, you monster.
The entire ordeal is insanely wacky, of course, and with Cage’s performance appearing absolutely intriguing, some have already deduced that Dracula would absolutely be canceled in these modern times.
With that being said, attempting to actually cancel a blood-thirsty vampire with an impressive amount of strength and awareness would undoubtedly be more difficult than most could ever imagine. Such an attempt would probably fall flat on its face without the inclusion of sunlight and a copious amount of holy water, but the effort almost seems worth it.
Renfield sinks its teeth into theaters on April 14.