Renfield Review!

 Alright! Today I'm reviewing the yearly vampire blockbuster that Hollywood has mandated, Renfield, which is about Count Dracula's bug-munching assistant R.M. Renfield and his struggles to get away from the abusive relationship that is corpse-fetching for the dark lord of all evil. The film also details the struggle of tough cop Rebecca, played by Awkwafina, tracking down the mob in New Orleans. If that last sentence seemed tacked on, hey, so was that plotline. 

One of my favorite things about Renfield is that it was short. In a world where so many movies are long two to three-hour blockbusters totally undeserving of the superfluous runtimes, having an hour and thirty-three-minute action comedy was extremely refreshing and something I'd like to see more of (Please! Bring back the hour-and-a-half comedy!). It gets in, tells the story, and gets out before overstaying its welcome. I appreciate that. 

I also rather liked Nicholas Hoult as the title character. He's grungy, disheveled, and his unkempt hair truly earned his The Batman audition, but still has a remarkably light and comedic voice that comes off as very soft and sensitive. One of my favorite parts was the occasional narration bits, where his soft voice would randomly overtake the narrative as if it were an episode of Blue's Clues. It was always an odd juxtaposition, hearing his tiny voice during grotesque action scenes. Was it intentionally funny? Probably not. But I laughed regardless. 

But the main draw here is the guy playing Count Dracula - the one and only Nicolas Cage. If you buy a ticket for Renfield solely to see whatever the Cage is cooking, you won't be disappointed by the results. He's delightfully campy and evil, complete with a silly accent that blows Adam Sandler out of the water as the definitive post-Twilight vampire. It's a performance that only Nicholas Cage could give, and the only movie where such a performance would work to its advantage (I wouldn't want him in Bram Stroker, but a comedy about his assistant who eats bugs? Checks out). Renfield is almost undeserving of such a great performance. 

Everything involving Dracula was great. I give all the love to the makeup and costuming department because the effects used for his skin and teeth were largely practical and it looks fantastic. His sense of style is iconic as well, giving the character an always upgrading and always extravagant look that only the Cage man could pull off. The tone around these scenes, the moody lighting, the gothic imagery, the kinetic action, and the horror-inspired shots were all fantastic. Everything about Dracula and Renfield was extremely well done and elevated by the two leads. 

However. that is only half of the movie - the other half revolves around a crime-ridden police department with one good cop fighting the corruption of the mob (Again, really earning that Batman audition). Awkwafina headlines this part of the movie, and, following Shang-Chi and Raya and the Last Dragon, I can't say that this movie dissuaded my notion that she's not particularly funny. With so-so laughs, overly dramatic and generic emotional beats, and a lead that's not particularly likable, this portion of the movie suffers when not co-starring the two immortal characters. Even Jean-Ralphio's smarm can't save it. 

I also wasn't a fan of how violent the film was. While the action was slick and well-choreographed, Renfield displays an over-the-top level of bloody violence that was downright disgusting at times, calling back to Mortal Kombat K.O.s and gruesome knife play. While I appreciate that the vampire movie actually had blood (Looking at you, Morbius), Renfield must have murdered a hundred people with his bare hands, walked away spotless each time, and then had several heart-to-hearts with Awkwafina that feels very odd given that they're standing on a pile of mangled corpses (It reminded me of Wonder Woman talking to that kid after brutally murdering several terrorists in Zack Snyder's Justice League). If you're not a fan of campy gore or extreme levels of violence, Renfield is decidedly not for you. 

The movie also wasn't particularly funny, a no-go for a movie marketed as a "comedy." While it has laughs, it never takes full advantage of its premise or devoted camp actors to be truly hilarious. The same goes for the overall messages about abusive relationships and bettering oneself - they're present, but they're never as emotional or impactful as you'd like them to be. There's nothing specifically terrible that you can point to as the place where it all went wrong, it just is, as a whole, less than the sum of its parts. It has all the right elements, and yet the overall product is mediocre. 

However, I do laud the movie for a short cutaway gag wherein they recreate the 4:3 black-and-white 1931 Dracula movie. While it's not what the movie could have or should have been, I would legitimately love a prequel, or any horror movie, really, that plays like a vintage 30's horror flick, complete with organs that you hear instead of see spilling out of stomachs. But as it stands? Renfield is fine. I wish it was better, had more of that LEGO Batman Movie depth to the relationships, but it's ultimately just okay. I wouldn't recommend it, but I don't regret having seen it. 

Overall, I give Renfield a 6/10. "Likely to the chagrin of its title character, Renfield is only as good as Dracula is."

Renfield would also work as a video game. Take out the three pimps, then the fight at the restaurant, bigger fight at the hotel, final battle at the mob mansion, and then Dracula boss fight.