Renfield – Review
93 Minutes, Rated R
Written by Ryan Ridley and Robert Kirkman
Directed by Chris McKay
**NOTE: this post will be updated with audio once we actually have the chance to talk about it. Until then, you can read Mark’s review below and Ryan’s review HERE. Remember, though, you can listen to all our discussions of this and every other movie directly over on ACAST. Stay tuned.**
Synopsis:
In this modern monster tale of Dracula’s loyal servant, Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road, X-Men franchise) stars as Renfield, the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss, Dracula (Oscar® winner Nicolas Cage). Renfield is forced to procure his master’s prey and do his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, after centuries of servitude, Renfield is ready to see if there’s a life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness. If only he can figure out how to end his codependency.
Let’s get the easy and stupid stuff out of the way, shall we?
- “I hope this movie doesn’t suck.”
- “Nicolas Cage really sinks his teeth into this role.”
- “You’ll have a bloody good time!”
You get the idea. Those are such lazy descriptors: cliche and click-bait-y, and I hate them.
Anyway, much has been made of the fact Nicolas Cage is playing Dracula, and why wouldn’t it be? I mean, Cage is, unquestionably, one of the most talented actors of his generation.
That said, this is really Nicholas Hoult’s movie as the titular, put-upon familiar (Robert Montague Renfield) to Dracula, who suffers through his decades of service, finding himself as the movie begins attending a support group for people in toxic relationships.
Not to help himself, mind you, but to find people society won’t miss (the toxics, not the group folks) whom he can take to Dracula to feed on.
As Robert struggles to adapt to life in modern New Orleans while continuing to serve Dracula, he runs afoul of a local crime family and crosses paths with a disgraced cop with a grudge trying to take them down.
Without going into too much more detail, let me just say that tonally, Renfield hits all right notes. Its comedy is funny, its horror is, well, horrific, and even its musical choices feel right for any given segment.
Renfield is eminently enjoyable, never overstays its welcome, and God help me, it feels a bit like it could become a 21st century version of what the original Evil Dead has become since folks found it in 1981.
If you know me and my love of all things Evil Dead, you know how not-lightly I throw such a comment out there.
Granted, Renfield has an easier path to such a status, given its big name cast and established directorial pedigree, but still. Renfield is likely one of those films that is simply going to hang around the public consciousness for decades.
Heck, it might even get Cage his shot at doing an even deeper dive into the psychology of Dracula. And it would absolutely rock.
Realize, too, that this is a Universal Pictures project, and as such should be considered part of their attempt to start (yet again) their Monster-verse, but this feels more like what Joker or The Batman is to Warner Brothers attempts to restart the DCU. It’s a standalone that should be exactly that. It doesn’t need to be tied into anything larger, and perhaps that’s the lesson Universal should take from this.
Renfield hits theaters April 14 and stars Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ben Schwartz, and Adrian Martinez.
And remember, if the BEST thing you can say about a movie is that it’s “visually stunning,” then they’ve done something wrong.
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