Synopsis:
Renfield, the tortured aide to his narcissistic boss, Dracula, is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding. However, after centuries of servitude, he’s ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of the Prince of Darkness.
Directed by: Chris McKay
Written by: Ryan Ridley Robert Kirkman Ava Tramer
Starring: Nicholas Hoult Nicolas Cage Awkwafina
My Edition:
My Thoughts:
I have seen a lot of lackadaisical responses to this movie critically. But those responses are wrong. I know people are allowed to their opinions, but my opinion is that they’re wrong, so…not sure where we should go from there. Basically, I feel like maybe some of you are sleeping on Renfield and I simply must insist that you stop that. You won’t regret it, probably.
Renfield is so much fun. It is absolute, off-the-wall lunacy, and I adore it. I mean, it’s not that often that you get to see someone’s arms ripped off and used as implements to beat and/or impale them and others. But you get that here. The blood is gratuitous, and the deaths are so deliciously overkill that I found myself cackling loudly at several points throughout the film (if you’ve read my review of Evil Dead Rise you’ll know that this is a thing I do when I find a kill especially pleasing).
You know when something crazy happens and someone’s like, “It’s okay. I’ve seen way worse?” Everything I saw you do today is gonna be my “way worse.”
Now, you might find yourself wondering about the title for this article – why do I think this movie was made by people who love monster movies? Well, there are a few reasons:
- I know Dracula is a dream role for Nic Cage. He’s only mentioned it, like, 40 times. I think probably second only to Superman for sheer number of times he’s publicly admitted interest.
- I’m familiar at least with Robert Kirkman, and am aware that the dude loves him some movie monsters.
- I watched the movie, and I saw with my own little eyes all the many homages to the 1931 Browning/Freund Universal masterpiece Dracula. Subtle they are not, but they seem really genuinely and lovingly done.
Honestly, this movie is so god damned campy that if it played it straight, I’d have probably called it sleazy (and loved every second of it regardless). Nicolas Cage is in the middle of one of the most glorious career renaissances the world could ask for. And he is in top form in Renfield. He is perfectly over the top, which balances so well with Hoult’s Wilting Sad Boy in Sweater deal. And utilizing a support group as Renfield’s path to self discovery and desire for agency was brilliant.
“My name is Robert Montague Renfield and I am a co-dependent…”
Awkwafina was a really good addition to the casting of Renfield. She is just snarky enough to play the perfect deuteragonist (I’m sorry. So sorry – seriously couldn’t find a good way to explain this without saying this like a total dork. They’re basically a secondary main character, which I guess I could have just said. Too fucking late. I used Google. No turning back). She was the right amount of Snarky/Narc-y to keep the plot moving. And don’t get me started on Ben Schwartz. I just love that guy. He’s ridiculous. And the perfect manbaby gangster. I love.
Rating:
Five stars. No notes. I thought this movie was wildly entertaining, and clearly a labor of love.
Renfield Directed by: Chris McKay US Release Date: April 14, 2023 Universal Pictures Rated R 93 Minutes
