RENFIELD – Reviewed by Eric Lindbom
The trailer for RENFIELD gives away most of the jokes from its funny premise: In modern day New Orleans, Dracula’s put upon servant (Nicholas Hoult) joins group therapy for those co-dependent on, and abused by, lovers and bosses. Those around him in the caring circle can’t guess he’s being bullied by a demanding vampire.
With an unquenchable thirst for blood and a anarchist’s lust for mayhem, Nicolas Cage makes a deliriously gluttonous Drac. The role fits the go-for-broke actor snugly and is another rung upward in his recent string of masterfully gonzo indie performances (which reached its apex with the Lynchian acid trip Mandy). He studied Bela Lugosi and moves slowly and stately until he strikes with gory glee.
At first, RENFIELD comes on like fan service for horror buffs. Early on, director Chris McKay perfectly mounts a black and white flashback where Cage and Hoult re-create the scene where Bela Lugosi, candle in hand, slunk down the cobwebbed staircase to confront Dwight Frye, the definitive Renfield, in the early reels of Tod Browning’s 1931 classic.
Then, poof the fun’s over. Inexplicably, RENFIELD takes its eyes off the bat (and ball) bottoming out as a dreaded action comedy with an anemic subplot. Awkwafina (usually a welcome presence) gets stuck bellowing out lines as a clean cop battling gangsters who turn up in high end SUVs and fire off automatic weapons. Meanwhile, our hero (like Frye before him) swallows insects. In this instance, they give him superhero strength so he can engage in poorly shot fight scenes that result in endless slapstick blood splatter (a far cry from the wit Sam Raimi employed in EVIL DEAD II).
What’s galling about RENFIELD is screenwriter Ryan Ridley (with a story assist from Robert Kirkman the creator of the WALKING DEAD) obviously knows vampire lore and sprinkles in some easter eggs. Whether through a writerly lack of will, or interference from their employers, RENFIELD turns to mince meat spit out by the Hollywood studio meat grinder with on the nose golden moments and numbing fights.
A hit and miss comedy along the lines of LOVE AT FIRST BITE would have justified RENFIELD’s existence since Cage and Hoult are an ace comic team that don’t get nearly enough screen time together. I’d love to see a do-over prequel set in Gothic times that focuses on delivering the funny instead of the futile.
Eric Lindbom is a hardcore horror buff with a strong stomach, weaned on the Universal classics from the ’30s and ’40s. He’s written film and/or music reviews for City Pages, Twin Cities Reader, LA WEEKLY, Request magazine and Netflix. He co-edits triggerwarningshortfiction.com, a site specializing in horror, fantasy and crime short stories with illustrations by co-editor John Skewes. He lives in Los Angeles.
