Renfield
Renfield
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz
Directed by Chris McKay
Starring Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz
Directed by Chris McKay
When he was a younger actor, Nicolas Cage wanted to play three characters: Captain Nemo, Superman, and Dracula. While he attempted to don the red cape in the Tim Burton film that was scrapped, he finally got to live out one of his fantasies in "Renfield," and even though his Dracula doesn't receive top billing let's just be honest: no one wants to see the film to see Nicolas Hoult's wimpy Renfield stand up to his narcissistic eternal boss, but they want to see Nic Cage be "NIC FU**&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&INGGGGGG....CAGE!" To that end, audiences were not disappointed, despite a lopsided script and some loose ends remaining at the end.
Way back when, Robert Renfield (Nicolas Hoult) wanted riches, so he approached Dracula (Nicolas Cage) thinking he could provide it. Instead Dracula gave Renfield a bit of his blood, making him immortal, but also making him his servant, and as the decades continued he served his unholy master by providing him innocent victims to feast on, but all the while his own needs and wants went unmet, and he began to feel trapped and stuck in a toxic work relationship that he wants to get out of, especially after attending self-help meetings in modern-day New Orleans.
Meanwhile, rookie traffic cop Rebecca (Awkwafina) is on a personal vendetta against the city's most powerful crime family, led by matriarch Bellafrancesca (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and her sniveling, yet cocky son Tedward (Ben Schwartz) after they murdered her father. Her investigation leads her to the Multates restaurant where Renfield is begrudgingly looking for new victims when Tedward and his men attack, and Renfield subdues them after witnessing Rebecca's strength. He thinks that he can find the strength inside him to stand up to Dracula, but finds himself struggling to do so time and again, and when Dracula reveals his plan for world domination, he discovers that he needs to find the strength soon before the entire world is encased in total darkness.
The Good:
Director Chris McKay and "Rick & Morty" writer Ryan Ridley understood the assignment given to them: a modern-day tale of Dracula and his (un)faithful servant Renfield, but not in a way that has been done before. Instead they leaned heavily on the quirky, well-known eccentric performances Nicolas Cage delivers on the regular and focused on that, resulting in a rip-roaring (and body ripping) good time, even if the story isn't Shakespeare.
While there's the supernatural element of working for Dracula, there's a more personal story about overcoming the negativity around you and facing your demons, no matter how strong (or eternal) they might be. Renfield wants to stop bringing Dracula innocents, but - like most people - can't find the strength to stand up for himself. The over-arching tale here is finding the inner strength to realize your worth, finding your own strength, and, eventually, "grow to full power."
The cinematography is reminiscent of classic Universal Monster movies with deep hues of reds, blues, and greens, giving an ethereal feel that heightens the suspense, horror, and slapstick comedy that's littered throughout like the many bodies of Dracula's victims. There's also a very enjoyable opening sequence of Renfield meeting Dracula, where they infused Hoult and Cage into the classic Bela Lugosi 1931 "Dracula" film.
While most films rely solely on computer generated effects to heighten their movie, "Renfield" returns to the classic, tried-and-true practical effects (mostly) to deliver the blood and carnage, and it's all the better for it. There's nothing like seeing a man's arms ripped off his body and being used as nun-chucks in a practical way instead of them being cheesy computer effects. The blood splatters, the bodies split apart, and it's a gloriously gory good time.
Speaking of practical effects, Nicolas Cage underwent hours of transformative work to become Dracula in all his iterations. When he's attacked and nearly killed, he's a burning husk, and must rely on Renfield to bring him victims to regain his full power, which is shown in different moments as he slowly becomes stronger, and his makeup shows it. Again, practical effects for the win.
Nicolas Cage goes full Nic Cage here, obviously relishing in the role he's dreamed of his entire cinematic career. He said he did deep research into the project and wanted to give a Dracula unlike any other actor has ever played him, and he achieved his goal and then some. When you look up the term "chewing the scenery," there will be a picture of Nicolas Cage as Dracula. It's almost a detriment to the film that it didn't center on him, and I felt bad for any actor who had to act beside him because no one could possibly hold a candle to his impeccable, obviously not Awards-worthy but should be Awards-worthy performance.
Likewise Awkwafina utilizes her natural comedic timing to full effect as she always does, but this time she has a more meatier role than the generic comedic side-kick. Not only does she sling the one-liners, but she also has a personal agenda: stop the seemingly unstoppable New Orleans crime family that killed her father, even though she comes across hurdles again and again. She performs both sides equally well, and also gets to show off some action chops as well.
The Bad:
Sadly, the film isn't called "Nicolas Cage's Dracula," but rather "Renfield," and the titular character is, for all intents and purposes, a wet blanket. That's nothing against Nicolas Hoult, as he's a tremendous actor who's proven himself in the comedy and horror genre in films like "Warm Bodies," but here he doesn't really have a lot to work with besides being the depressed, meek, and boring Renfield. This is all the more evident when he's acting alongside Cage (a fun bit of trivia: a young Nicolas Hoult played Nicolas Cage's son in 2005's "The Weather Man"), who, again, chews the scenery so well that Hoult disappears into the background every time. Even when acting alongside Awkwafina everyone's attention is given to her, as his role is rather dull and boring.
There's supposed to be a story about the budding romantic relationship between Renfield and Rebecca, but their chemistry is more akin to best friends than romantic couple.
There's a few story plot lines that don't really come to full fruition that I can't mention because there's spoilers, but one that's not a spoiler is Renfield's power. He gained some of Dracula's power, but it's never really established what those powers are, and they seem to fluctuate depending on the scene.
While I fully enjoyed the crazy, gory fight scenes, I actually wanted more.
The Verdict:
While it's not a fully cohesive storyline that could garner Awards-recognition, "Renfield" knows what it is at its heart: Nicolas Cage playing the delectable Count in a way that hasn't been seen before, allowing him to fully immerse himself into the role and deliver gut-rolling laughter from the audience who, unlike many characters in the film, are able to keep their guts intact.
The Score: A
Way back when, Robert Renfield (Nicolas Hoult) wanted riches, so he approached Dracula (Nicolas Cage) thinking he could provide it. Instead Dracula gave Renfield a bit of his blood, making him immortal, but also making him his servant, and as the decades continued he served his unholy master by providing him innocent victims to feast on, but all the while his own needs and wants went unmet, and he began to feel trapped and stuck in a toxic work relationship that he wants to get out of, especially after attending self-help meetings in modern-day New Orleans.
Meanwhile, rookie traffic cop Rebecca (Awkwafina) is on a personal vendetta against the city's most powerful crime family, led by matriarch Bellafrancesca (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and her sniveling, yet cocky son Tedward (Ben Schwartz) after they murdered her father. Her investigation leads her to the Multates restaurant where Renfield is begrudgingly looking for new victims when Tedward and his men attack, and Renfield subdues them after witnessing Rebecca's strength. He thinks that he can find the strength inside him to stand up to Dracula, but finds himself struggling to do so time and again, and when Dracula reveals his plan for world domination, he discovers that he needs to find the strength soon before the entire world is encased in total darkness.
The Good:
Director Chris McKay and "Rick & Morty" writer Ryan Ridley understood the assignment given to them: a modern-day tale of Dracula and his (un)faithful servant Renfield, but not in a way that has been done before. Instead they leaned heavily on the quirky, well-known eccentric performances Nicolas Cage delivers on the regular and focused on that, resulting in a rip-roaring (and body ripping) good time, even if the story isn't Shakespeare.
While there's the supernatural element of working for Dracula, there's a more personal story about overcoming the negativity around you and facing your demons, no matter how strong (or eternal) they might be. Renfield wants to stop bringing Dracula innocents, but - like most people - can't find the strength to stand up for himself. The over-arching tale here is finding the inner strength to realize your worth, finding your own strength, and, eventually, "grow to full power."
The cinematography is reminiscent of classic Universal Monster movies with deep hues of reds, blues, and greens, giving an ethereal feel that heightens the suspense, horror, and slapstick comedy that's littered throughout like the many bodies of Dracula's victims. There's also a very enjoyable opening sequence of Renfield meeting Dracula, where they infused Hoult and Cage into the classic Bela Lugosi 1931 "Dracula" film.
While most films rely solely on computer generated effects to heighten their movie, "Renfield" returns to the classic, tried-and-true practical effects (mostly) to deliver the blood and carnage, and it's all the better for it. There's nothing like seeing a man's arms ripped off his body and being used as nun-chucks in a practical way instead of them being cheesy computer effects. The blood splatters, the bodies split apart, and it's a gloriously gory good time.
Speaking of practical effects, Nicolas Cage underwent hours of transformative work to become Dracula in all his iterations. When he's attacked and nearly killed, he's a burning husk, and must rely on Renfield to bring him victims to regain his full power, which is shown in different moments as he slowly becomes stronger, and his makeup shows it. Again, practical effects for the win.
Nicolas Cage goes full Nic Cage here, obviously relishing in the role he's dreamed of his entire cinematic career. He said he did deep research into the project and wanted to give a Dracula unlike any other actor has ever played him, and he achieved his goal and then some. When you look up the term "chewing the scenery," there will be a picture of Nicolas Cage as Dracula. It's almost a detriment to the film that it didn't center on him, and I felt bad for any actor who had to act beside him because no one could possibly hold a candle to his impeccable, obviously not Awards-worthy but should be Awards-worthy performance.
Likewise Awkwafina utilizes her natural comedic timing to full effect as she always does, but this time she has a more meatier role than the generic comedic side-kick. Not only does she sling the one-liners, but she also has a personal agenda: stop the seemingly unstoppable New Orleans crime family that killed her father, even though she comes across hurdles again and again. She performs both sides equally well, and also gets to show off some action chops as well.
The Bad:
Sadly, the film isn't called "Nicolas Cage's Dracula," but rather "Renfield," and the titular character is, for all intents and purposes, a wet blanket. That's nothing against Nicolas Hoult, as he's a tremendous actor who's proven himself in the comedy and horror genre in films like "Warm Bodies," but here he doesn't really have a lot to work with besides being the depressed, meek, and boring Renfield. This is all the more evident when he's acting alongside Cage (a fun bit of trivia: a young Nicolas Hoult played Nicolas Cage's son in 2005's "The Weather Man"), who, again, chews the scenery so well that Hoult disappears into the background every time. Even when acting alongside Awkwafina everyone's attention is given to her, as his role is rather dull and boring.
There's supposed to be a story about the budding romantic relationship between Renfield and Rebecca, but their chemistry is more akin to best friends than romantic couple.
There's a few story plot lines that don't really come to full fruition that I can't mention because there's spoilers, but one that's not a spoiler is Renfield's power. He gained some of Dracula's power, but it's never really established what those powers are, and they seem to fluctuate depending on the scene.
While I fully enjoyed the crazy, gory fight scenes, I actually wanted more.
The Verdict:
While it's not a fully cohesive storyline that could garner Awards-recognition, "Renfield" knows what it is at its heart: Nicolas Cage playing the delectable Count in a way that hasn't been seen before, allowing him to fully immerse himself into the role and deliver gut-rolling laughter from the audience who, unlike many characters in the film, are able to keep their guts intact.
The Score: A
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