Renfield movie review - Aussieboyreviews
DOES RENFIELD OFFER BLOOD-SUCKING FUN FOR TEENS AND UP?
This vampire horror-comedy feels like its trying to be somewhat serious at times, but the action falls flat when it’s trying to have fun. It’s a disaster! Nicolas Cage deserves a better movie to enact Dracula in.
Storyline
After torturous centuries of serving his narcissistic boss, Renfield, the humble servant of Count Dracula, decides to break free from servitude and adopt a normal life from outside the dark shadows.
Movie Images
Movie details
Director: Chris McKay
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Brandon Scott Jones, Adrian Martinez, Brandon Scott Jones
Writer: Ryan Ridley
Release Date (Australia): 25 May 2023
Runtime: 93 minutes/1h 33m
Genre: Comedy, Horror, Fantasy
Country: USA
Language: English
CONTENT GUIDE (warning: May contain spoilers)
The film contains strong supernatural fantasy themes and features several vampire attacks. There are thematic elements relating to crime, corruption and emotionally abusive relationships, in addition to a depiction of a vampire burning in the daylight resulting in burning injuries.
The film features comedic depictions of supernatural fantasy violence in the form of vampire attacks, shootings, stabbings, dismemberment, mutilation and a man being supernaturally blown up, frequently accompanied by blood sprays and gore detail.
The film features frequent use of the word “f**k”, as well as use of the words “s**t”, “ass”, “**shole” and “bitch”.
The film contains depictions of packaged cocaine and cocaine snorting, as well as references to the drug.
Nude male statues are briefly viewed.
The film contains infrequent very mild verbal references to sex.
mpaa rating
R (for bloody violence, some gore, language throughout and some drug use)
Aussie boy's thoughts
Even if you’re watching the movie just for the legendary Nicolas Cage, the weak script, flat plot, and the surprising lack of Cage as Dracula will leave you just as disappointed. This poor attempt at a vampire horror-comedy is directed by Chris McKay, and stars the one and only Nicolas Cage, alongside cast members Nicolas Hoult and Awkwafina. And if you haven’t heard, the title refers to Dracula’s humble servant, Renfield, as he decides to break free from servitude after torturous centuries of serving his narcissistic boss.
Starting out by walking through the positives, which Renfield has a very short list of, it’s tough to deny that the cast puts in a solid effort and some of the humour works out fairly smoothly. Nicolas Hoult is able to pull of a kind of anxious-seeming familiar to his master Count Dracula, and Nicolas Cage as Dracula himself is very freakish and fantastic, but the film also involves a decent performance from Awkwafina who plays this good-cop-out-of-all-the-bad-cops. The makeup for these characters is also lands as very convincing as well.
Whilst some may be reminded of blood-sucking fun and others of a strong cast, which this movie without a doubt has both of, crowds who gained no pleasure in this comedy will likely have the phrase “an utterly flat story” surrounding the title in their brain. There is absolutely no emotional connection with the characters, the action sequences provide over-the-top gore with no fun, and after the first 15 minutes or so, which kick off with such promise, Renfield just becomes painful to sit through. Nicolas Cage deserves a much better movie with the same role.
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