There has always been an air of mystery around the Dracula novel as a result of Bram Stoker swearing parts of the story are real. The mystery with this modern take on the vampires assistant is how a film with Nick Cage dialing it up to 11 as a megalomaniac undead lord and a bunch of blood soaked over the top action can be anything but a complete slam dunk. Which Renfield is not.
While some of it misses the mark there is plenty to enjoy over the hour and a half you spend with Nicholas Hoults's increasingly rebellious lackey. The film begins with a beautiful recreation of Renfield's first encounter with Dracula in the classic 1931 Universal monster flick and gives a quick summary of their relationship since, Renfield being the dutiful stooge that brings Drac his victims and even passes up the chance at freedom to bail his master out when he's trapped by vampire hunters. Cut to present day where a downbeaten Renfield and depleted Dracula set up shop in New Orleans. The movie then follows Renfield's attemps to, at first, assuage his conscience by feeding his boss douche bags, then eventually try to break away from him entirely. The obvious theme is one of moving on from a toxic relationship and the film deserves credit for giving this angle a little bit of texture. Sure, Renfield is at the whim of an egomaniac but it was his own greed and lust for power that let him become ensnared and the story is about him needing to better himself as much as stop a monster.
Nicholas Hoult brings soul and a likeable quality to Renfield, despite the atrocious deeds he has committed, but the film really shines when Nicholas Cage is on screen. Speaking like Bela Lugosi has taken some English lessons but also stored a couple of marbels in his mouth, he camps it up while maintaining an air of menace that makes sure we know The Count is a genuine scary threat. A fantasic exchange in Renfield's new apartment even comes close to eliciting some sympathy for the tryant as it's clear he's a little wounded by his servant's new life choices.
The other star of the show is the OTT action. Director Chris McKay approaches the fight scenes with a sense of childish glee that see speople, limbs and blood flying everywhere. It really should be too much but it works and the film would be pretty flat without it.
Sadly that sense of adventure doesn't make it into the plot, where the story of Renfiled leaving Dracula behind in favour of a healthier friendship with Awkwafina's police officer fights for air with one of the most hackneyed cops and criminals stories in quite some time. Cop out to avenge her father, other officers on the gang payroll, menacing criminal matriarch, useless gangster kid desperate to prove himself to the family, it's all here. An abundance of bad guys is necessary to allow for the wild fight scenes but the characters are the barest of bare bones and too much time is spent on them, making a trim 90 odd minute runtime feel laboured. It's also debatable whether the character of Renfield, for all Hoult's good work, actually deserves much sympathy from the audience and if his change of heart really comes close to balancing all the evil he has been a part of.
A Dracula performance for the ages and a well realised central character dynamic but lazy plotting leaves Renfield feeling like less than the sum of its parts.
7 pure of heart out of 10 victims
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