Renfield - Chris McKay - 2023

★★★-It was pretty fun, but not as fun as I was expecting. Think they should have leaned into the comedy a bit more. While the tone was a that of an action/comedy, it didn't really have many jokes that landed. Plus, it felt like it mostly just of pretty bad CGI. And lastly, I think Awkwafina was somewhat miscast. Also, it was kind of a mess. 

Gist is Renfield, Dracula's loyal henchman/long-term inmate at an asylum, yearns for a life free from his master's relentless demands and the gruesome bloodshed that accompanies them. Goes to codependent anonymous meetings to break away, but it doesn't go well for anyone. 

Directed by Chris McKay. He also did The Lego Batman Movie and The Tomorrow War. Cast includes Nicholas Hoult in the title role, Nicolas Cage as Dracula, Awkwafina as a cop/love interest, Ben Schwartz (Jean-Ralphio from Parks and Rec), and Shohreh Aghdashloo (House of Sand and Fog and 24).

Spent some time in development hell. Universal was planning on doing a series of reboots based on the old monster flicks with a shared universe, which would have been cool. This was supposed to be the next movie after the Tom Cruise led film The Mummy, released in 2017, but it bombed. Later, screenwriter Robert Kirkman, who did the original draft, presented a rewrite that was more comedic in nature, which was eventually green-lit. 

Overall, it was alright, mostly because of the performances by Cage and Holt. Renfield, on the whole, is played for laughs – though make no mistake, it is a gorefest. Over-the-top, bloody action is always appreciated, by me at least. Can't get past that CGI though.

Cage's portrayal of Dracula steals the show, blending humor while still drawing inspiration from past actors who played the iconic character. Lugosi, Christopher Lee, and Gary Oldman come to mind. Whenever he takes center stage, the film comes alive in ways it doesn't when it's Holt and Awkwafina. Say what you will about the guy, Cage is always super captivating. 

However, Renfield falls somewhat short due to not capitalizing on its promisingly hilarious premise. While entertaining, the film hints at a more vibrant, dynamic, and absurdly amusing movie yearning to break free. It's enjoyable, but one can't help but feel that it missed the opportunity to be truly extraordinary.