It’s been a while since there has ever been a good vampire movie. The Twilight series is emotionally soulless, so I’ve heard, and Dracula: Untold had potential but was largely forgettable.
Luckily, audiences get to take a bite out of this Dracula-esque spoof (Renfield) that stars Nicholas Cage as the blood-sucking vampire icon with some impeccable pulp and grit, no pun intended.
The film mainly revolves around Dracula’s servant named Robert Montague Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), who lives his life to do the bidding of his master Dracula and being stuck in a toxic and volatile work relationship with his boss. The two’s toxic “friendship” spans decades back and involves Renfield fetching food, or human flesh, for the evil Count.
In the present day, Renfield uses what powers he has from Dracula to take down some mob thugs terrorizing a local club and thus distracts himself from serving the evil vampire. As the film progresses, Renfield becomes something of a hero and his master questions his loyalty to him.
To start off, this film is not what most Dracula fans would expect. It has plenty of darkness within its fabula but still manages to be funny in its own right thanks largely to Nicholas Cage’s creepy performance.
Some might find this film to be a departure from the Dracula that they know and love but it’s Cage that truly shines on the screen with such poise and fervor. He’s been known for being in some serious flops but this film is something of a win for the actor.
The classic macabre is a fresh take on the timeless tale. It combines the 1920s look of Dracula with a modern twist brought to life that never feels unwanted or rushed and if you like gore, this is definitely the film for you because there is gore galore and then some.
I’m certain that a few years down the line, this will be known as a cult classic regarded highly by an ardent fanbase with some merchandising to go along with it. It’s a good thing Hollywood hasn’t lost the ability to be truly original in the execution of its films.
4 out of 5 stars.
Renfield releases exclusively in theatres on April 14th, 2023.
