Renfield

I don't think anybody is going into Renfield thinking they're going to see an oscar winner. They're going in expecting a fun, comedic thriller about Dracula's servant, with an excellent Nicolas Cage performance. On that front Renfield delivers. The jokes are hilarious punches at the Dracula lore presented, the action is over the top and ridiculously bloody, and the story is servicable enough to satisfy. My only issue with the film is there are parts where the dialouge feels like it was written by a teenager and there are certain illogical plot holes that seemed to just be an issue as far as editing goes. If the filmmakers had just switched a few scenes around, they could've avoid that. They also show you a lot of the good scenes in the trailer, but there was still more fun to be had besides that stuff as well. Overall, an enjoyable experience that doesn't overstay it's welcome with a brisk 90 minute runtime. I would recommend this on Cage's performance alone, but the film also stood up on it's own as well.

3.5 victims out of 5.

Over the top chaotic fun with buckets of blood and gratuitous violence. Both Cage as Dracula and Hoult as Renfield are superb with excellent acting and an authentic master/servant relationship.

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The plot wasn't as special as it could have been, but it's still pretty good and the moral message is well woven in between the frequent fast paced action scenes.

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Great special effects, makeup and use of music, but it did feel a bit of a mish-mash at times and there wasn't as much comedy as I was expecting.

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Overall, I would score this film as a seven out of ten.

Casting Nick Cage as Dracula is the best thing this movie does. Nicholas Hoult is also lovable as Renfield. The Nicks truly kill it! The action scenes are surprisingly enjoyable with how well choreographed and how they really utilise that R rating.

Unfortunately, Awkwafina's character and her boring plot to take down a mob take a lot of screen time. It doesn't help that Awkwafina gives the same usual performance she always does. The movie wastes its unique premise while also having bland character arcs and making it a cliché movie. Nevertheless, the short runtime of 93 minutes makes it a good watch to kill time.

This film had every good thing going for it to be a surprisingly entertaining and fun popcorn flick. The comedy was spot on, the gore effects were nice and extreme, and all the casting and performances were excellent, especially Cage, who was perfect for the role. I wasn't sure about casting Awkwafina, but her chemistry and character were a great compliment to Nicholas Hoult's character. But the best part of this film, was the nice twist on the over-done Dracula/vampire genre. It was a refreshing and unique twist on a story we've seen done so many times before. My only complaint is that I wanted to see more of Cage in this film. Not sure if it's doable, but this could be a fun new film franchise if they can come up with more films using the same characters - and hopefully see more of Cage at his best.

Last year, Nick Cage starred in a major theatrically released movie for the first time in over a decade. It was the pleasant surprise, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. I love it. And I hoped it would be the movie to bring him back to prominence. (Not that he ever left ;)

So I was immediately excited to see a new Nick Cage movie, Renfield, in theaters. Not to mention I love vampires. And in many ways, this movie is exactly what I wanted. It's entertaining, over-the-top, and borderline outrageous. I laughed a bunch, both at the comedy and at the craziness/gore. There is one scene near the end that perfectly captures the absurd fun (at the apartment complex).

At the same time, those crazy and outrageous scenes make up a very small portion of this movie. And overall, it's not put together very well. The story doesn't feel smooth. Seems more... frantic. Same with the action. It's not bad, but it's a little... frantic. Same with the movie as a whole. I could tell as soon as it started. It's kind of... hectic.

I was still able to get a lot of enjoyment out of Renfield. Cage gives a great performance. Six stars is a positive score for me. I had a good time and I'll probably watch it again at some point. But for a theatrical Nick Cage vampire movie, I can't help but be a bit disappointed. I should have LOVED this.

On to the next. I was already watching most of his movies when they were low quality streaming movies. You better believe I'm watching all Cage theatrical movies. More crazy and weird stuff, please :)

(1 viewing, early screening 4/12/2023)