Renfield (2023) Universal/Comedy-Horror RT: 93 minutes Rated R (bloody violence, some gore, language throughout, some drug use) Director: Chris McKay Screenplay: Ryan Ridley Music: Marco Beltrami Cinematography: Mitchell Amundsen Release date: April 14, 2023 (US) Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Brandon Scott Jones, Adrian Martinez, Camille Chen, James Moses Black, Bess Rous, Jenna Kanell, Danya LaBelle, Rhonda Johnson Dents, Christopher Matthew Cook, Michael P. Sullivan, Rosha Washington, T.C. Matherne, Caroline Williams, Marcus Lewis, Derek Russo, Marvin Ross, G-Rod, Dave Davis, Keith Brooks, Joshua Mikel. Box Office: $17.3M (US)/$26.9M (World)
Rating: ***
Nicolas Cage as Dracula, it practically writes itself, doesn’t it? I’m surprised it took this long for somebody to realize the brilliance of this bit of casting. 35 years after he donned a set of fake fangs in the wild and weird Vampire’s Kiss, Cage plays the father of all bloodsuckers in the comedy-horror Renfield, a completely different take on Bram Stoker’s terrifying tale of Count Dracula, the nocturnal nobleman from Transylvania with a thirst for blood. We all know that OTT is Cage’s default setting. There’s a reason some refer to him as “Nick f***iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing ow-wow Cage!!!” It serves him perfectly in this ultra-gory funny fright flick told from the perspective of the Count’s bug-eating personal assistant Renfield played by Nicholas Hoult (The Menu).
In one of many nice touches, Renfield opens with the title character sitting in a meeting for people in toxic co-dependent relationships. It’s one of those 12-step support groups that regularly meet in church basements to vent about their situations while the leader offers up platitudes about self-esteem and taking control of one’s own life. Renfield’s original intention for being there is slightly more diabolical than self-help. He’s looking for food for his master who’s hiding in an abandoned New Orleans hospital recovering from a near-fatal encounter with vampire hunters.
Due to a crisis of conscience, Renfield chooses victims who are anything but innocent- i.e. the abusive persons discussed in the room. Naturally, this doesn’t set well with the Count who berates his servant for daring to make an autonomous decision. This is when Renfield realizes he’s in the exact same situation as everybody in the group. Well, almost exact; there is that whole murder-for-nourishment thing.
While going after somebody’s narcissistic boyfriend, Renfield accidentally steps on the toes of local crime family, the Lobos. Specifically, he inadvertently interferes with a hit and causes the boss’ dimwitted son Teddy (Schwartz, Sonic the Hedgehog) to be arrested by traffic cop Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), seemingly the only member of NOPD who isn’t corrupt. She’s the only cop trying to take down the Lobos. They murdered her father, also an honest cop in a sea of corruption, but nobody is willing to do anything because the family has all the right people in their pocket.
Rebecca and Renfield have their meet-cute at a restaurant when some of Teddy’s thugs show up with guns to make an example of her. Renfield, whose powers are activated by eating insects, jumps into action and saves her life. Realizing how much better it feels helping people than killing them, Renfield tries to build a new life for himself away from Dracula. It’s not going to be easy. Besides having to deal with an inhuman monster who refuses to accept his resignation, the boss (Aghdashloo, House of Sand and Fog) declares war on him which leads to more attacks that don’t end well for the assailants, gangsters and cops working together. If nothing else, it gives new meaning to the term “armed and dangerous”.
Although he’s given his share of fine performances (e.g. Leaving Las Vegas), crazy Cage is the version we really want to see. That’s what we get here. He doesn’t just chew up the scenery; he devours it with great aplomb. His interpretation of Dracula is singular and hysterically funny. That’s the main reason to see Renfield. However, it’s not the only reason. Hoult, who costarred as Cage’s teenage son in 2005’s The Weather Man, has been making a name for himself since 2002’s comedy-drama About a Boy. It wasn’t his debut, but it’s the role that got him noticed. He’s so versatile. As Renfield, he successfully adds a dimension- i.e. the whole co-dependency thing- to the character that’s never been explored before (at least not that I know of). Here’s a guy who’s been lurking in the shadows for close to a century. He lost himself to the dark side a long time ago and desperately wants to be a decent person. Hoult sells it without breaking a sweat.
I love Awkwafina. She’s easily one of the most appealing comedic actresses working in film today. Although director Chris McKay (The LEGO Batman Movie) affords her character little in the way of development, she brings her uniqueness to the role in how she reacts and adapts to each situation. She’s always a joy to watch. Lackluster character development is a problem throughout Renfield. The crime boss played by the splendid Aghdashloo is extremely one-dimensional. Shouldn’t a villainous character project a bit more menace? She’s more like a hard-ass corporate boss than a leader in the criminal underworld. Oh well, at least she looks good doing what she does.
There are a lot of clever bits in Renfield, but the one that stands out for me is the flashback sequence depicting Renfield’s first meeting with his future master. It looks exactly like an old black and white horror movie. It acts like connective tissue to the original 1931 Dracula film from Universal. Although a lot of it is CGI, I really enjoyed the action sequences. McKay doesn’t skimp on the gore either. This movie is insanely bloody and violent. For me, that’s always a strong selling point.
I didn’t expect a horror masterpiece when I signed on to watch Renfield. I just wanted to have a good time at the movies. Well, I did. It’s a nice mix of horror and comedy. It’s one of the best of its kind I’ve seen in a while. I might even put it up there with The Return of the Living Dead. Of course, that one didn’t have Nicolas Cage and all his craziness. I have to say it again, he’s “Nick f***iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing ow-wow Cage!!!” That sums it up perfectly, don’t you think?
