When I was in grade school, I was obsessed with the Universal Monster movies. They were my superheroes. I had most of the films on VHS (some purchased, some taped from TCM marathons). Once you’ve seen them 10 or 15 times, you start thinking about the stuff you don’t see happening in the film. Who helped Dr.Frankenstein make the clothes for the Monster? Can we see consumed food in the stomach of the Invisible Man? These were the kind of questions I’d ask my Dad while on road trips. He would sometimes laugh and other times get really annoyed. And I finally understood those reactions when I watched Renfield.
Walking that particular fine line makes Renfield an enjoyable exercise in comedic absurdity.
First and foremost, we have to address the elephant in the room:
Nicolas Cage plays Count Dracula.
That’s it. Make of it what you will.
Directed by Chris McKay, Renfield tells the story of a tormented underling, Robert Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), as he tries to break free from a toxic relationship with his narcissistic, blood-lusting boss, Count Dracula. Running out of places to feed and regenerate, Renfield and Dracula find themselves in modern-day New Orleans. After spending time in a church’s self-help group seeking out potential victims, Renfield starts to wonder if he can escape the clutches of Dracula both physically and mentally.
Despite being a one-paragraph pitch, Renfield manages to pad its runtime with various subplots. There’s a one about corrupt cops and another about a seemingly untouchable mob family. Unfortunately, these shenanigans are only there for action set-pieces – excuses to give Dracula something to do during the second and third acts. This works for me because both Cage and Hoult devour (no pun intended) every single scene they’re in.
Over-the-top campy, devilishly charismatic, and sometimes horrifying, Cage as Dracula is everything you’d dreamed it would be.
But Hoult’s turn as Renfield is equally as enjoyable.
Between scenes of pop humor and anime-esque action sequences, Hoult’s performance is surprisingly sympathetic and layered. While the physical humor itself was grand, it was quite touching to see him try hard to stand up to his boss. There is one scene in particular where Dracula confronts Renfield about abandoning his duties as a caregiver. Although intentionally played for laughs, the scene subtly gets darker as Dracula gaslights Renfield into feeling guilty for having personal needs.
The movie features a scene with a man getting his arms torn off and used as melee weapons as fountains of blood sprays out like a punctured Capri-Sun. So, I wasn’t really expecting the nuance of human drama. Much less the kind that made me think of times when I was probably being manipulated in past relationships. Part of me wishes the film would’ve explored this just a little bit more to add some levity to the story.
Those elements, while interesting, are few and far between in Renfield‘s ham-fisted comedy and karate action.
After all, this is a horror-action-comedy, not a character drama. And believe me, it utilizes every definition of each of those genres. Unfortunately, and comedy outside Dracula and Renfield’s relationship is hit-or-miss. Poor Awkwafina does her best to make up for most of the film’s misses., but she also has to contend with the script she was given.
Thankfully, the horror elements are fantastic! I especially loved the various states of Dracula’s regeneration. The action is both hilarious and satisfying. The overall effect feels much like an arcade beat-em-up or Stick Death flash videos from the early 2000s.
What I enjoyed most about Renfield is that this kind of horror comedy really isn’t being made anymore. It’s a sub-genre I believe to be sorely missed. While not groundbreaking by any stretch or deeply profound on a storytelling level, Renfield is a fun little ride. It revels in the absurdity of hilarious overthinking.
What’s Dracula like when he isn’t being hunted down by vampire killers? What does Renfield’s daily routine really consist of?
The answers to such questions are a lot more entertaining than you ever imagined! Oh, and this movie hates ska. That alone earns it a higher ranking in my book!
Renfield is now in theaters nationwide.