Early in Renfield, Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult appear in a direct duplication of 1931’s Dracula, appearing as Dracula and Renfield. The two actors slip well into these roles. But what to do with them? This picture tries to find some fun stuff to do with the actors in these iconic horror roles. Cage camps it up the way he does in most of his eccentric movies, and Hoult makes us care for these henchmen in the same way he made us care about zombies in Warm Bodies.
In addition to letting these top actors munch on their roles, there’s more to explore in the vampire/henchmen relationship. Trying to be funny and heartfelt, it doesn’t always mesh perfectly, sometimes leaving the viewer perplexed about whether to laugh or cry at Renfield’s problems. But when this horror-comedy finds that sweet spot of mixing the two tones, it’s a potent dose of brutal absurdity.
More Than A Man Servant
The titular character can feel the duality of the film’s issues. Renfield is of two minds about working for Dracula. He’s been doing it for the longest time and finds a bit of amazement in his ability to eat bugs and turn into a superpowered familiar. Less cool is how Dracula treats Renfield, making him feel like there’s no other life for him and that he’s in too deep.
Despite the film’s thirst for laughs and lashes, Renfield’s plight becomes easy to sympathize with. There is undoubtedly an absurdity with Renfield attending group therapy sessions of those in toxic relationships and struggling to find the best way to communicate his ordeal. But it’s also posed as a legit concern for the character. If not for the film’s framing of being more giddy than gritty, this could’ve easily been a more meaningful drama akin to Let The Right One In.
Then again, a film like this seems bound for comedy with Nicolas Cage involved. It’s not that Cage can’t do serious, but this is a Dracula role we’re discussing here. You don’t dress him up in vibrant outfits, sucking the blood of the innocent, and spend a portion of that time in disgusting makeup without having fun with that. Hoult serves as a perfect counter-balance for that level of embracing the violent vigor of movie villains.
Dracula In The City
To embrace more blood and bombast, director Chris McKay gives Dracula more to do than just munch a few necks. The vicious vampire takes notice of his current city home and how there’s a mafia that runs everything. The mob comprises a sultry-voiced leader, played by Shohreh Aghdashloo, and her over-the-top enforcer son, played by Ben Schwartz. Given how this criminal organization seems to love being evil, even outright stating so a few times, they make the perfect allies for Dracula.
Renfield also gets his ally in the form of the short-fused cop Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina). She faces a similar ordeal of having her department comprised largely of the mafia. With a firmer desire to bring justice to the city and her family, her vigor is exactly what Renfield needs to push onward. Well, he could already push pretty hard, considering his powers. All he needs is some group therapy, a good friend, and enough self-esteem to become his own man. And that man just happens to be one that can rip people to shreds.
Vibrant With Violence
It’s fitting that a film of this nature features the most boisterous of gruesome moments. Renfield is not just portrayed as some John Wick-style monster who kills hordes of hitmen. His fights get incredibly creative with how many ways a human body can be brutalized. Not every servant of Dracula is clever enough to impale a man with someone’s severed arm.
Much like the warped relationship between Dracula and Renfield, the tone shifts with the violence, perhaps at a better transition. When Renfield tries to kill some abusive men for Dracula’s dinner, it’s treated with over-the-top flair in the form of decapitations and broken limbs. There’s heartbreak and shock when Renfield watches his therapy group get gutted. The marketing is perhaps more interesting in portraying this scene, promising to be a giddy ride for the film’s more terrifying sequence.
The majority of the action, however, is regulated to the most outrageous of gory brilliance. This spans from Dracula making a priest explode into chunks to Renfield making a man bleed out his mouth and crap out of his ass simultaneously. The film gets so bloody brilliant with its staging that the grand finale becomes more of a throw-everything-and-the-kitchen-sink situation of trying to figure out what can kill a vampire.
Brisk With Bites
Running a little over 90 minutes, the movie benefits from its fast nature. Characters don’t spend too long monologuing or trying too hard for a laugh. There’s a zippy wittiness to how the film embraces its character with roles tailor-made for the best attributes. Awkwafina’s sass is the perfect counter to Hoult’s contemplative nature. Cage’s upfront cynicism plays well off Aghdashloo’s understated insidiousness.
Yet this aspect is also the film’s biggest hindrance. This picture is anxious and feels uneasy about spending too much time with its characters. This leads to many moments where exposition has to be rattled off in a hurry to get to the next energetic set piece. Since many of those great scenes are incredible for the timing, staging, and bold choice in production design, speeding feels warranted.
Conclusion: Renfield
Renfield manages to find fun parts of its vampire premise and sink its fangs deep enough to appreciate a Nic Cage Dracula picture. Little of the film feels like it’s exploring new territory with the lore, and its aspects of abusive relationships sometimes become questionable for finding the dark humor within. But for a film that highlights its performances and violence as a major draw, it’s a worthy distraction of comedic horror. Plus, it’s just too much fun watching Hoult slice off limbs with plates in the most absurd restaurant.
Renfield is currently playing in theaters.
Watch Renfield
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