“Renfield” Review
As Count Dracula and Renfield, Nicolas Cage and Nicholas Hoult are magical in the delightful horror-comedy “Renfield.”
A couple months ago, I saw a movie called “Cocaine Bear.” With a title like that, you would think that the film would be full of insanely memorable imagery and indeed it was. However, many of the characters felt too generic for the film to leave a substantial impact. “Renfield” is what I wanted “Cocaine Bear” to be: a beautifully over-the-top, gruesome horror comedy that entertains its audience in a way that is sure to stay in your mind.
A bizarre sequel to the original 1931 “Dracula,” which starred the iconic Bela Lugosi as the blood-sucking count, the film is set in modern day New Orleans where Dracula’s human servant Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) is still serving his master’s needs. In exchange for caring for Dracula (Nicolas Cage) and finding the dark one’s victims, Renfield is given superhuman abilities and a long life that comes from consuming the blood of insects. However, moving from place to place and fulfilling the needs of a sadistic monster of the night just isn’t cutting it for Renfield anymore. He realizes that he’s in a toxic relationship and decides to break away from his master. But Dracula is, as Vince Vaughn would say, a “stage 5 clinger” which means that Renfield’s life is going to become way more chaotic.
When I first saw that this film was being made, I was immediately hooked when I saw that the great and powerful Nicolas Cage was going to be playing Count Dracula. As I recall from my review of “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent,” I am relentlessly fascinated with this actor. He just has a unique delivery and presence that can’t be matched. Much like Mae West, when he’s good, he’s very good, but when he’s bad, he’s better. There’s just no such thing as a boring Cage performance. As Count Dracula, he brings his A-game to the role.
With so many iconic actors like Max Schreck, Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Klaus Kinski, Gary Oldman and even Adam Sandler having played the Count, Cage still manages to stand out with his truly unique style. He takes every fiber of his being seriously and is clearly relishing his time on screen.
However, while Dracula is a major player, this isn’t his story. As Renfield, Nicholas Hoult is quite compelling because of how relatable he is. Has he done bad things? Yes. Absolutely. But you still sympathize with him because you see the good inside of him and TRenifeld sees it too. His desire to escape the relationship is what kept me interested in the story. However, when he is threatened, he isn’t afraid to eat a spider and kill some people in goofy, gory ways.
The film’s action is masterfully comedic with so much bright red, Hammer-Horror-style blood. Seeing this Dracula dispatching so many people in this excessive manner is a match made in heaven. But it’s not just Dracula who spills plenty of blood. In the city of New Orleans, a crime boss named Teddy Lobo (Ben Schwartz) becomes an enemy of Renfield when our hero saves civilians from Lobo’s goons. To make his fallen servant pay, Dracula teams up with Teddy and sends an army of Lobo’s men after Renfield and Rebecca Qunicny (Awkwafina), a traffic cop who allies herself with Renfield to take down the Lobo family. Which means we’ve got a lot more bodies to pile up.
With such theatrics, “Renfield’s” atmosphere is beautifully artificial. Watching this film was like being in a haunted house at an amusement park. It’s beyond extravagant in its gothic revelry and also a lot of fun. As a comedic follow-up to the 1931 “Dracula” (which I was not aware of before I saw the film), director Chris McKay shows off his love of monster movies by having so many Easter eggs that pay homage to the original. Utilizing the same technology that replaced Steve McQueen with Leonardo Dicaprio’s Rick Dalton in “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” McKay was able to insert Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage into the original “Dracula” when Renfield explains his backstory. Seeing Hoult and Cage take the places of Dwight Frye and Bela Lugosi in the same image is just fantastic.
Despite all of the humor from the two main characters, as well as Awkwafina and Ben Schwartz being exceptional in their roles, “Renfield” does a surprisingly admirable job showcasing a toxic, codependent relationship and the damage it has done. While Renfield does want a better life and is acknowledging that he deserves better, it’s not so easy to break away from his boss. This is where Hoult’s performance truly shines as he shows off some incredible dramatic chops that bleed quite well into the comedic story. Because we know what Renfield is fighting for and we’re on board with his journey, it gives a serious weight to the events of the film. “Renfield” may be a comedy first, but it also does hit on an emotional level.
For those that love the classics of horror and want to see them taken on in a beautifully entertaining way, “Renfield” is the blood-soaked film you’ve been waiting for. It’s so relentlessly fun and proves two things. One: it’s possible to make a horror comedy centered on a guy who can fly after eating ants. Two: Nicolas Cage as Dracula is what I’ve always dreamed of.
