The story of Dracula reaches back to the 1897 gothic horror novel, which inspired countless iterations across every medium imaginable. Chris McKay’s Renfield takes its own stab at the infamous tale of a monster and his familiar, but with a contemporary spin on the toxic relationship between Dracula and R.M. Renfield. Of course, there’s plenty of gore this time around.
‘Renfield’ finds its title character seeking his own voice
Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) initially got himself into trouble when he thought he could make a better life for his wife and daughter by getting involved in the real estate matters of Dracula (Nicolas Cage). However, this only leads to his own immortality, as he’s forced into becoming a familiar to care for all of his master’s needs.
Now in New Orleans, Renfield and Dracula take refuge in an abandoned hospital. The familiar spends his free time attending support group meetings for co-dependent people seeking to cut themselves free from their toxic relationships.
Renfield feels inspired by the bravery of a police officer named Rebecca (Awkwafina), who isn’t afraid to stand up to the most dangerous crime family in the city. Together, the duo fights to save the world from the evil that lurks in the shadows as a never-ending reminder of their greatest traumas.
Destructive relationships and reclaiming one’s power
Ryan Ridley’s Renfield screenplay doesn’t simply want to be another Dracula story. Rather, he chooses to blend dark comedy and horror to explore the confines of toxic and destructive relationships. Dracula is rightfully framed as an extreme narcissist who consistently gaslights Renfield at every turn, creating a dynamic that isn’t actually so different from the mortal woes of his fellow support group attendees. However, Renfield’s dilemma has a supernatural twist that poses a threat to the well-being of the entire world.
Renfield doesn’t provide its title character with a sense of self-righteousness. He’s an anti-hero who, in turn, puts his dark powers to use against criminals. The rules of the human world and the ones thrust upon him by his master are constantly at odds with one another, forcing him to make a decision, but there isn’t any winning, regardless of his decision. In a sense, Renfield is actually battling his own poisoned moral compass more than the actual Dracula himself, which he must overcome before he has any hopes of facing the great evil that commands him.
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The familiar isn’t the only person dealing with traumas and complicated relationships. Rebecca is low on the totem pole at the police station, working DUI checkpoints in a corrupt city. However, she wants to follow in her father’s footsteps, who died protecting what he believed in, and make a difference. Meanwhile, the crime organization that haunts the streets portrays its own cyclical nature between parent and child. At its core, Renfield is all about claiming one’s power from within and refusing to let others claim it as their own.
‘Renfield’ is a gory good time
McKay and cinematographer Marco Beltrami bring style to Renfield, frequently utilizing neon colors in its palette that contrast with the occasional throwback to iconic black-and-white Draculan imagery. The screen is constantly pulsating with personality, unafraid to explore a playful side to what could have carried a much more serious tone. However, it’s never framed as goofy. The New Orleans location is a fun, yet underutilized setting that could have made for more set pieces.
Fortunately, the dynamic between Hoult and Cage is in full force. Hoult brings a sense of humanity, which we’ve seen him do in other films, such as 2013’s zombie romance, Warm Bodies. However, this is a different performance that gives him the opportunity to bounce energy off of Cage, who walks the fine line between threatening and camp. He’s a master of effortlessly gliding between seriously commanding the screen and offering physical comedy.
Unfortunately, not all of the comedy quite pays off. Renfield finds its rhythm in its gleefully over-the-top vampire parody, painting the walls with red. Ridley’s screenplay doesn’t quite have the charm and wit that it wishes it had. Awkwafina brings her signature schtick to the film, which intrudes on its momentum.
Renfield instills a fresh twist to the dynamic between Dracula and his familiar, packed with enough blood to please the dark one himself. It doesn’t all work, but it offers an enjoyable 93 minutes pairing two talented performers together in a way that’s much more nuanced than other attempts to revitalize the Universal Classic Monsters.
Renfield bites into theaters on April 14.
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