Review: Renfield

Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.

Nicolas Cage appears to be having fun as Count Dracula in the new film "Renfield," in which the centuries-old bloodsucker's familiar (or slave), Robert Montague Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), finds himself in a support group in present day Los Angeles, complaining about the narcissistic, demanding boss who is making his life miserable.

In 1989, Cage played a man obsessed with the notion that he was a vampire in a delirious performance in the film "Vampire's Kiss," so it seems like a good fit that he'd portray Dracula in this new film. And he seems to be enjoying himself as he - for lack of a better phrase - vamps it up, even though his character basically amounts to a supporting role.

It's unfortunate that the film can't keep up with him. Renfield is tasked with finding innocent victims - a group of nuns and a busload of cheerleaders are among his master's requests - for Dracula to feed on, but increasingly becomes disillusioned; hence his decision to join a support group where he finds compassion among other people who are in toxic relationships.

Renfield also befriends an eager young cop, Rebecca (Awkwafina), after saving her from a group of gangsters who had previously murdered her police officer father. There's some decent buddy cop movie chemistry between the two characters, although the filmmakers' choice to spend so much time on the turf war involving the gangsters seems like an odd choice.

The film also doesn't seem to want to waste time on dealing with the odd scenario that binds Renfield and Rebecca together. At one point, he explains his conundrum and Rebecca - a cop with a bone to pick with her department and a person who seemingly doesn't suffer fools gladly - just accepts it at face value, as if the filmmakers didn't have time for her incredulity.

Also, for a movie that's meant to be a horror comedy, there's a hell of a lot of extremely gory violence in the film - so much so, in fact, that I felt obligated to check the credits to see if Troma Films had anything to do with the production (it didn't). "Renfield" is never scary, although it's technically adjacent to the horror genre, and there's not much in the way of suspense. There are some genuine laughs, but people being gutted, heads exploding, arms being ripped off, and faces being skinned isn't quite as funny as the filmmakers seem to believe it is.

If there's any reason to see "Renfield," it's mostly Cage's ongoing commitment to letting it all hang out. Recent films have utilized his unique brand of acting - sometimes wildly ("Mandy"), other times subtly ("Pig") - to great effect, and his amusing portrayal of the count is the film's best asset. 

Unfortunately, the film spends more time showing Renfield engaging in kung-fu like fights with villains and jumping through the air as if he's in "The Matrix" than focusing on Cage. "Renfield" isn't a bad film - and it has its fun moments - but it still feels like a missed opportunity.