'Renfield' Movie Review: Cage’s Dracula is the juice but there’s nothing else at stake here 

Still from the movie, `Renfield`

Film: Renfield
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez, Jenna Kanell, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Bess Rous
Director: Chris McKay
Rating: 2.5/ 5

‘Renfield' is yet another middling attempt by the studio to capitalise on its classic monsters. The interest here lies in the story itself - Robert Kirkman's original story has Renfield, Dracula's long-suffering servant/familiar, plagued by co-dependency issues, and is shown as seeking help from a support group. It's something that has not been done before and is sure to evoke some hilarity. Also, Nicholas Cage as Dracula has his own unique, sublime attraction.

But that's about as original as it can get. We're introduced to Rebecca (Awkwafina), a New Orleans cop relegated to monitoring a drunk driver checkpoint when her main interest is in going after the Lobo crime family that was responsible for the death of her police officer father. The film then becomes a generic crime drama with the Lobo head honcho Bellafrancesca (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and her son Tedward (Ben Schwartz) coming up front and center. It's another matter that Tedward ends up becoming one of Dracula's undead minions. The convoluted screenplay envisages Renfield and Rebecca as partners fighting off the Lobos' heavily armed henchmen.

The graphic representation of never-ending streams of violence with Renfield dismembering his opponents at will have its own rewards for the blood and gore inclined. Various body parts, organs, and limbs explode in bloody splatters. Director Chris McKay appears to be enjoying the wanton deterioration of human body parts and presents it with unabashed glee. It's no fun for those unimpressed by overdoses and overkill. It's all so numbness-inducing that you'd rather shut your eyes and take mini naps while the steroid-induced violence abates.

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The film picks up a beat dramatically whenever Cage as Dracula makes an appearance. Nicolas Cage's attempt to go full vampire for the first time since "Vampire's Kiss," is partially rewarding. Cage's facial expression and dialogues delivered with Gothic flair leave a strong enough impression. Hoult also manages to impress with comic craft that sends in the chills as well as keeps you in splits. His offbeat attempts to blend in with the general public are noteworthy.

'Renfield' is more "Kick-Ass" than a traditional blood-sucking vampire movie. The fight sequences, the slow-mo action, the consistently spurting blood flows, and the evolving rules on vampire kill make this outing less of a vampire movie and more of a comedic action enterprise (albeit unfulfilling). The manic violence takes much away from this attempt at entertainment even though it may be its chief selling point. There's nothing toothsome here. It's a bloody spin but it's obviously not tasty enough for the Dracula fan to sink their teeth in.