Renfield, the tortured aide to his narcissistic boss, Dracula, is forced to procure his master's prey and do his every bidding. However, after centuries of servitude, he's ready to see if there's a life outside the shadow of the Prince of Darkness.
Director: Chris McKay
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez, Shohreh Aghdashloo
Release Date: April 14, 2023
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
Rated R for bloody violence, some gore, language throughout and some drug use
Runtime: 1h 33m
Review:
Chris McKay's Renfield is a goofy and bloody romp that plays like a weird mash up of John Wick by way of Tim Burton. The film has an undeniably cartoonish charm that makes it easy to enjoy from the start. McKay film has a kinetic sort of energy with flourishes of style highlighted early on with a clever use of classic Dracula footage used to give the Cliff's Notes version of Renfied's backstory. Nicholas Hoult as the titular star is a likable lead as the sad sack that's been in a toxic relationship for centuries. Hoult's performance is endearing enough to make you care about his predicament which also keeps him from being totally out shone by Nicolas Cage's performance as Dracula. Cage is entirely in his element in this role as he's given free reign to do whatever outlandish thing he wants to do. It’s a crazy mixture of just about every iteration of the character condensed into a singular, hilarious performance. The film works best when it focuses on Cage and Hoult's characters and the gonzo action sequences peppered throughout. It hits some speedbumps when it falls back on its rather thin plot and romantic subplot. Awkwafina brings a certain sort of energy which works in small bits, and it would have been more effective if the script had just cut the romantic overtones especially since she and Hoult just don't have that sort of chemistry together. Ultimately, it keeps Renfield from maintaining its comedic energy consistently enough to make it truly memorable.
B-
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