RENFIELD – A Review by John Strange
Count Dracula and his servant, Renfield. We all know these names. Universal’s new film, Renfield, is a new take on the legend with a strong comedic twist. For all of you horror fans, this is a comedy with blood and guts, not a horror film with humor.
Renfield has spent a LONG time (think centuries) seeing to Dracula’s every want and desire. He despairs of ever finding freedom from the one horrid decision he made when he first met the vampire. He is even attending group sessions for co-dependency in his search for victims for his master.
Nicholas Hoult (Renfield) and Nicolas Cage (Dracula) each do an excellent job in their roles. In fact, Cage’s Dracula is hilariously dead-on perfect as the decadent vampire.
Rebecca (Awkwafina) is a New Orleans police officer at odds with pretty much the entire force and determined to bring down the Lobo Family, the local branch of the mob. Awkwafina did her best with the character, but the script was not helping her at all.
I had high hopes of a lot of laughs while watching this film. Sadly, despite the valiant efforts of the excellent cast, the script is just too thin. The fight scenes are over the top and remind me a little of the 60s Batman TV show fights but with blood and severed limbs and heads instead of the cartoon words.
I can’t give this film a great rating. It has a good director and a great cast, including one that surprised me when she appeared on screen. But the script left me unsatisfied in the end.
Director: Chris McKay
Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Adrian Martinez,
MPAA Rating: R (for bloody violence, some gore, language throughout, and some drug use)
Selig Rating: 3 Stars
Runtime: 93 Min.
Release Date: 04/14/2023
Language: English
Movie Site: RENFIELD Official Site
Trailer: RENFIELD Trailer
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie/show, well worth the time and price.
4 Stars – Good movie/show
3 Stars – OK movie/show
2 Stars – Well, there was nothing else…
1 Star – Total waste of time.
