Renfield is a movie that pretty much has as much going for it as it does against it. On the one hand, it is all-around well-acted and has an exceedingly clever and potentially hilarious premise that offers something fresh to classic Dracula lore. On the other, it doesn’t always take full advantage of its best aspects and ideas and it often fails to make a memorable impact.
Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield, the enslaved servant to Count Dracula, who is portrayed by the impeccably cast Nicolas Cage. To appease his guilty conscience, Renfield feeds his vampire master low-life criminals and abusers that he finds through the victimized members of a support group he has joined for people in co-dependent relationships. Renfield soon finds himself taking the group’s teachings to heart and decides that he has had enough of his abusive and nightmarishly narcissistic boss and decides to break away from his oppressive control. Unfortunately, Renfield then gets mixed up with a group of violent drug dealers and a tough police officer played by Awkwafina, and the overcrowded and cluttered story starts to derail.
Renfield’s most notable faults come from its haphazardly structured screenplay by Ryan Ridley. The core storyline by The Walking Dead co-creator Robert Kirkman is bursting with potential for ingenuity, but its actual execution is uninspired and far too complicated for its own good. The relationship between Dracula and Renfield and Renfield’s efforts to come into his own with the aid of his support group are enough to carry the movie by themselves. The subplots and supporting characters that litter the film aren’t nearly as interesting and they weigh down the story and steal focus from its best and most creative aspects.
Another notable flaw in the film is its overly fast pacing. Director Chris McKay and his team of editors (Ryan Folsey, Giancarlo Ganziano, and Mako Kamitsuna) seem to be overly concerned about boring their audience and leave little breathing room as a result. Watching the film is sometimes like watching someone else play a video game. Renfield’s events quickly unfold with little consideration for dramatic engagement. Moments aren’t savored, tension isn’t built, and the jokes are often not properly set up or timed.
The film’s most impressive aspect is the work of its exceptionally talented cast. All its members bring the appropriate amount of commitment to their characters and impressively embody the film’s otherwise roughly communicated humor. Hoult brings a comedic vulnerability to his long-suffering title character, resulting in a performance that is oddly sympathetic and likable. Awkwafina brings integrity, intensity, and fierce sarcasm to a role that would seem wholly unnecessary in the hands of a lesser performer. Cage is, almost needless to say, his usual bold and inventive self, delivering a unique, quirky, and commanding interpretation of one of popular culture’s most classic characters.
I imagine that I will be able to enjoy Renfield more with repeat viewings when expectations won’t hinder my ability to accept it for what it is: a silly and bloody fast-paced romp with some endearingly fun performances. After the first viewing, however, I can’t help but be disappointed by what it’s not: a focused and notably intelligent update on Draculamythology that wholly lives up to the potential of its wildly inventive premise. Renfield could have been a horror/comedy classic, but will instead have to settle on being a flawed effort with some notably clever components.
GRADE: C
