Sometimes all you want from a movie is a few hours of unadulterated fun and when it comes with a side helping of epic gore and a cult favourite like Nicholas Cage playing an iconic pop culture character like Dracula, its watchability is a no-brainer.
The protagonist of the horror comedy film Renfield is Count Dracula’s tortured familiar Robert M. Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), who has had just about enough of catering to his narcissistic boss’s every whim. Sometimes that includes procuring “happy couples, a couple of nuns or a bus full of cheerleaders” for consumption and no, please “don’t sexualise it”, it is all about purity.
Renfield joins a support group for people in abusive relationships and realises that he is codependent. His examples might not quite make sense to the group because who can understand violence where Dracula cuts open Renfield’s stomach, spilling his guts, just to make a point! But it will touch a chord with people who are in codependent relationships. Renfield decides to make a life for himself and stand up to his boss, but it does not pan out according to plan once he gets caught in the middle of a mafia-versus-vengeful-cop drama.
Hoult does a good job of playing the much-abused, good-natured lackey who has superpowers (yes, Renfield gets super strength and agility when he eats bugs and Dracula’s blood can heal him). His soulful eyes, beatific smile and posh British accent make him endearing. Also great is Awkwafina as the gun-wielding, foul-mouthed tough cop Rebecca, a perfect satire of the tough woman trope. The budding romance between Renfield and Awkwafina is perhaps the weakest point of the film but their exchanges are nothing less than hilarious, especially when both are fighting off the bad guys.
But the scene-stealer is, without any doubt, the Nicolas Cage as the deliciously evil and wonderfully over-the-top and campy Count Dracula. Anyone with eyes can see that Cage is having a ball with the role that seems to have been made for him. We first see him as a broke, convalescing vampire who slowly gains back his powers (and looks) the more blood he drinks. Whether he is spouting evil menacingly or disembowelling people, Cage is a joy to watch. And we wish there was more of him instead of the occasional appearance.
What works just as well for the film as Cage is the immense amount of blood and gore, with guts tumbling out of open abdomens, heads rolling, limbs being torn out and used as clubs and spears, and people going splat. Those who get queasy at the sight of blood should probably sit this one out.
One thing that could have made Renfield even better is a more solid script that added a little more depth to the toxic relationship satire instead of making it all jokey. The other thing that the film would have benefited from was a meatier role for Shohreh Aghdashloo (who had grabbed eyeballs since her role as Avarsala in The Expanse), who plays mob boss Bella Francesca. That voice, that classy vibe and that delightful nastiness was absolutely underused.
Despite its flaws, Renfield is a must-watch for Nicolas Cage fans, Dracula enthusiasts, comedy lovers and those who thrive on gore.
