'Renfield' Is A Bloody Good Time
Renfield is a clever take on Bram Stoker's classic blood-sucking character. By updating things to our current century, the story of Count Dracula's (Nicolas Cage) servant Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) takes a relatable turn for the best. The film is hilarious and relentlessly paced, clocking in at a brisk hour and thirty-three minutes. There's a ton of action in Renfield that doesn't let up. Even if you don't get it, you'll crack up at all the classic Stoker references. Whether the victims are a bus full of cheerleaders or gang bangers trying to make a quick buck, the list of casualties quadruples in a satisfying, visceral experience.
The story starts with an opening narration by Renfeild, going over how he met Dracula centuries ago to where he is now. Thanks to the Count, Renfield is gifted with immortality. Although Renfield looks like he's in his twenties, he's actually hundreds of years old. Not only that, but he's powered with superhuman strength, speed, and agility. Where Dracula relies on blood to keep himself alive, Renfield consumes insects to fuel his immortal strength. Once charged up, Renfield has more agility than Super Mario and speed than Sonic The Hedgehog.
In this film, more than any other, it's relatable why Renfield develops a codependent relationship with Count Dracula. Where Renfield is often depicted as a bug-eating creep, Nicholas Hoult plays a more sympathetic, shy, likable character. To keep the prestigious position of immortality, Renfield's tradeoff with Dracula is that he delivers the Count bodies to feed on.
Complimenting Hoult's sensitive performance is Nicolas Cage going as hard with his Cage Rage as he can muster. As the infamous vampire, Nicolas Cage is a delight to watch as he chews up the scenery as much as possible. Nicolas Cage's career is an interesting one to follow. The once Oscar Winning Actor has become an internet meme of blatant insanity. Rather than run from it, Mr. Cage runs towards it. Recently, Mr. Cage has played an eccentric version of himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, hosted Netlfix's History of Swear Words, and now is Count Dracula.
The role of Dracula is a nod to Cage's craziest performance in Vampire's Kiss. For Renfield, much of Cage's acting is through his makeup. The makeup department does a phenomenal job creating Dracula. From Dracula's skin falling off to him being in prime shape, the makeup goes through excruciating detail to ensure they get the look of the infamous vampire just right. Nick's doing a copy of Bela Lugosi and Gary Oldman which sounds like a farcical rendition of Dracula, which coincides with the film's humor marvelously. Cage is having a blast with the character as he leans on every line with an annunciation that's pure campy fun.
When the film isn't focussing on Dracula or Renfield, it follows Awkwafina, playing the role of Officer Rebecca Quincy, a cop motivated to take down the powerful Lobo mob family. The Lobos took Rebecca's dad from her. Rebecca's father paid the ultimate price for being a decorated officer who fights on the side of good. To make matters worse, the Lobo syndicate buys out the cops, so Rebecca can't do anything to get back at them. Luckily Rebecca runs into Renfield, who takes a stand against the family when they cross his path. Since the police force isn't helping with cleaning up the mob, it's up to Renfield and Rebecca to take the Lobos (and Dracula) down.
Following the crime syndicate plot is Tedward Lobo, the bratty son of his mother Bellafrancesca (Shohreh Aghdashloo), the head of the Lobo syndicated family. Ted wants to prove to his mother that he's tough and can handle the family independently. Yet his constant seeking for approval is a pathetic display of weakness. Schwartz is great at playing an eccentric, insecure little dweeb that desperately needs a punch to the face.
There are a lot of plotlines the film juggles with for its short length. There's Renfield and Dracula, Officer Quincy, and the Lobo family. Most of the plotlines cut together seamlessly, while others can be boring. Seeing Ben Schwartz scream at his mommy or Awkwafina quip with her fellow officers isn't as engaging as Dracula's abuse toward Renfield. Luckily the film keeps much of its focus on Renfield to stray itself from mundane alley.
The chemistry between Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage is electric. As Cage steels the show, Hoult plays a timid, afraid individual who'll do anything for Dracula. That is until a certain point when Renfield gets sick of delivering fresh bodies to the Count. To cope with his miserable existence, Renfield joins a group therapy session at night for individuals trapped in abusive relationships. Some of the film's funniest bits come from the group meetings. When Renfield tells his group they can't understand his problems, they have no idea that his abuser is the real Nosferatu.
Renfield is depicted as a good man. How good he is is up for debate. Although Renfield feels guilty for killing and bringing the bodies for Dracula to feed on, it doesn't excuse that Renfield is murdering civilians. The movie leans toward us sympathizing with Renfield despite his reprehensible daily activities for his master. I suppose in a comedy killing civilians is okay as long as you feel guilty about it. Although we shouldn't be rooting for Renfield, the film makes us feel bad for him.
As the poster says, "sucks to be him." Still, is Renfield a good person? That's a complicated answer which can't be given with a simple yes or no. On the one hand, Renfield is a murderer who delivers fresh bodies to Dracula. On the other hand, Renfield wants to help protect people from Dracula. By not being Dracula's servant Renfield can be free, but he could die by leaving/betraying his master. The film wants us to like Renfield, but it doesn't shy away from the fact that Renfield has acted selfishly for centuries in fear of what will happen to him if he goes against the Count's wishes.
Renfield breaking his codependency towards Dracula is a strong motivator for the film. We not only understand why Renfield stuck around with Dracula so long but also get how impossible it is to break that bond. Dracula is a manipulator who can easily turn people with his words and display of power. Renfield is a clever film that takes the conventions of Dracula and turns them on its head to deliver comedy gold. As a mixture of horror and humor, the film is shot with a bright contrast ratio where all the reds from the flowing blood pop vividly on the screen. Renfield is gory as hell and all the more fun for it. But the movie isn't all mindless violence.
There's enough soul in Renfield's sentimentality to make it more than an action-filled bloodbath. Renfield's goal of breaking his dependency on Dracula is relatable to anyone who's been in a toxic relationship. The exception is your average person can't hover in the air or turn into bats. Awkwafina's character arc isn't as impressive as Renfield's. Her scenes can be dull despite the short running time. Her character more or less exists to help push the story along by serving the protagonist. Her character could be cut from the film, and the movie might gain some momentum for it. Still, she's not an entirely boring character to follow, just one who isn't as dynamic as the two leads.
With enough action and sentimentality, Renfield is a bloody success. The jokes hit their marks, as do the performances. After all these years, Dracula lives on! If you're looking for a fun movie to watch with your friends on the weekend, Renfield might be right up your alley. It elicits enough reactions to warrant a Saturday night matinee with a large crowd you can share the laughs with.
