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Higher education professional by day, writer and pop culture enthusiast by night. When he isn't writing for The Cinema Spot, Tristian can be found creating content for his YouTube and TikTok pages, or working on the young adult novel he has been trying to finish for the last three years.
While many bemoan the fact that Hollywood does not seem to have any interest in new stories, most can appreciate it when a story based on pre-existing intellectual property manages to present the idea in a way that is clever and fresh. Characters and a basic story can be familiar as long as the way they are presented is different from what audiences have seen before.
With a story from Robert Kirkman, director Chris McKay (Moral Orel, The Lego Batman Movie, The Tomorrow War) and screenwriter Ryan Ridley (Community, Rick and Morty) take the meek, long-suffering minion of Count Dracula and transform him into a hero worth rooting for in the campy supernatural fantasy horror-comedy, Renfield.
The Plot of Renfield
As a young man, Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) mistakenly made a deal with the prince of darkness himself, Dracula (Nicolas Cage), and as a result, has spent centuries as the bloodsucking fiend’s faithful servant. In a clever twist, the filmmakers reframe this idea as a toxic, psychologically, and emotionally abusive relationship. The brilliance of this concept is that the framework has been there since the start. Renfield’s undying devotion to the lord of vampires and his willingness to destroy himself and those around him to appease his master has always been an integral part of the character.
The film begins to subvert this when the duo moves into an abandoned hospital in New Orleans after an especially nasty run-in with a group of vampire hunters. Renfield spends his nights prowling the streets of the Big Easy for human subsistence to help heal his master. It’s while stalking one unsuspecting victim that he ends up at a support group for individuals who are trying to heal from their own toxic and abusive relationships. This eventually sends him down the path of trying to regain control of his life. Throw in a powerful drug lord, a vengeful cop trying to avenge her father, and a plentiful amount of gore, and you have yourself a bloody good film.
An Inner View of the Vampire
Renfield was a fun watch from beginning to end. I would be remiss if I did not begin by praising Nicolas Cage’s performance as Count Dracula. It is exciting to watch an actor lean into the absurdity and campiness of a role, and there will be no doubt in viewers’ minds that Cage had an insane amount of fun playing this role. He strikes a perfect balance between being menacing and ridiculous. His Dracula can be terrifying one moment, then sophisticated and suave when the situation calls for it. Yes, he is a creature of the night who craves human blood, but he is also tactful and sees the larger picture as it pertains to world domination. Like many emotionally abusive individuals, he can break down his servant Renfield with his words. He knows exactly what to say and what emotional and mental buttons to push to keep Renfield under his thumb. Watching Cage bring this iteration of Dracula to life is a sight to behold.
Nicholas Hoult as our lead hero is sympathetic, compelling, and the loveable underdog you cannot help but root for. It is easy to understand his plight as the enslaved and put upon familiar to a very ancient, abusive, and high-maintenance vampire. Watching him go from meek and sad to someone who is reclaiming his autonomy and finding his own personal happiness is oddly moving and cathartic. Renfield has lived a long life and has led a lot of people to their deaths all in the name of serving his master. The character is rightfully feeling the guilt and shame of this and wants to make amends. I cannot emphasize enough that this movie works so well because of Hoult’s charm, vulnerability, and fidgety energy that makes you root for him to heal from the damage Dracula’s influence has inflicted on his life.
Secondary Roles
Comedian Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians, The Farewell, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) portrays a tough and determined police officer, Rebecca Quincy, who is determined to take down the local drug operation that got her father killed. She crosses paths with Renfield when he kills three goons connected to the seedy underbelly of New Orleans. Awkwafina does well enough here and manages to do justice to the seriousness the role demands.
Rebecca is grieving and vengeful; she has a strong sense of justice and wants to make sure that she sees it served. Although this puts her at odds with her FBI agent sister, Kate (Camille Chen), she will not relent. Like Hoult, she brings charm and vulnerability to the role that makes it easy to root for her. She and Hoult work well together on screen, and while their chemistry does not read as romantic, they are a pair viewers will enjoy watching together.
If I had to give an actor second place behind Cage for having an insanely good time portraying their character in this film, it would go to Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation, House of Lies, Ducktales, M.O.D.O.K.). He plays the drug empire heir, Teddy Lobo, with a perfect amount of giddiness and camp. He makes it impossible not to enjoy his time on screen. He is a spoiled brat trying to prove to his mother (Shohreh Aghdashloo) how capable and tough he is and is constantly humbled in hilarious and gruesome ways.
The Smaller Details of Renfield
The action sequences in this film are a visual feast for the eyes. Whether Dracula is ripping his way through a room of innocent bystanders or Renfield is fighting his way through an army of Lobo family goons, the frantic energy and gore will get the viewers’ hearts racing with excitement. The final fight between Dracula, Renfield, and Rebecca is absolutely insane and is so much fun to watch.
There are also some filmmaking choices that are just brilliant and really amp up the campiness of the film. For example, when Renfield is explaining his history with Dracula during the opening, Cage and Hoult are superimposed into the 1931 Dracula film. It is a clever and cheeky choice that pays homage to an iconic iteration of the same source material.
Do Not Bite the Hand that Feeds You
Although I enjoyed this film, I walked away with two major complaints. Firstly, I wish we’d seen more exploration of the Rebecca and Kate dynamic. Both sisters want revenge for their father’s murder but have two very different ideas as it pertains to getting justice. I would have liked for the film to spend more having the two sisters hash out their differences and exploring their respective grief.
Secondly, it isn’t until the last twenty minutes of the film that viewers learn that Bram Stoker’s novel exists in the world of the movie. Although characters earlier in the film do not have much of a reaction when Dracula’s name is mentioned, at least two of them toward the end recognize the name.
If Bram Stoker’s novel does in fact exist in the world of Renfield, then how did that come about? The story reveals pertinent information about Dracula’s history, weaknesses, etc. It does not seem like something the undead count would want floating around, right? Did the nameless order of vampire hunters who meet a grisly end at the beginning of the movie have something to do with the book’s creation? Was Bram Stoker a member of their order? Perhaps they created and published the book as a way of teaching others how to protect themselves against vampires, but presented it under the guise of fiction?
I really wish that this had been addressed in some fashion. The film could have even leaned into Dracula being so conceited because his life story has been shared and reimagined so many times over the centuries. It would have fit with the iteration we get here.
All in all, Renfield is an enjoyable and crazy ride that has lots of heart, plenty of action and comedy, and of course, a lot of bite.
Higher education professional by day, writer and pop culture enthusiast by night. When he isn't writing for The Cinema Spot, Tristian can be found creating content for his YouTube and TikTok pages, or working on the young adult novel he has been trying to finish for the last three years.
This article was edited by John Tangalin.