RENFIELD
US, 2023, 93 minutes, Colour.
Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwfina, Ben Schwartz, Shoreh Aghdashloo, Brendan Scott Jones, Adrian Martinez, Camille Chen.
Directed by Chris McKay.
Absolute mayhem and splatter… And that is just the first 10 minutes of Renfield!
But, in fact, that description does describe the whole of the film. It is a blend of comedy/parody and gory violence that somehow rather keeps the balance between the two making it all rather entertaining for movie buffs. Which means that audiences not Dracula fans need not read on – unless they are curious to know what is happening to Dracula in the 21st-century!
Dracula has fallen on hard times, Renfield not being able to supply him with sufficient blood. Dracula is deteriorating and he and Renfield, his servant (we remember that he was the one who went to Transylvania to do a real estate deal with Dracula and found himself enslaved!) have moved to New Orleans, a hideout in an abandoned warehouse which, unfortunately for Dracula and Renfield as well as the dealers, is a centre for drug distribution.
On the one hand, this is a parody of gangsters and corrupt police, and we are surprised to find serious actress for many years, Shoreh Aghdashloo, enjoying herself as a tough matriarch. Awkwafina is a local officer, confined to street barriers, estranged from her sister, but conscientious.
On the other hand, Renfield has become tired of Dracula’s impositions and has started going to a self-help group, and studying a book about how to deal with narcissistic monsters (which Dracula denies and ridicules). Somehow or other, the vampire story intersects with the gangster story. Lots of shootouts. Lots of fights, over-the-top mayhem with severed limbs flying.
Nicolas Cage is obviously enjoying himself as Dracula, sometimes a look of Bela Lugosi, sometimes the manner of Christopher Lee, sometimes the walk and hunch of Nosferatu, and relishing Dracula’s tone of voice and utterances as well as dominating poor Renfield (an engaging performance from Nicholas Hoult), insinuating himself into the drug family to acquire more power, abducting Awkwafina’s sister, destroying lots of thugs, but also destroying the earnest self-help group.
Of course, it builds up to be climax, but Dracula making the mistake of forgetting that a drop of his blood will enliven Renfield – Awkwafina tricking Dracula and a happy ending and, spoiler alert, Renfield able to revive the whole self-help group so that they can continue!
Tongue in cheek, a great deal of inventiveness in the story and the writing, the director relishing all the twists and turns. Stay for the final credits because it is all there in summary again and a chance to contemplate Nicolas Cage as Dracula! And, confirming with one blogger that really it is all very gory - and endearing (more than guilty pleasure!).
- The title? Renfield and his association with Dracula? Memories of his role in selling Dracula’s estate? His becoming Dracula’s servant?
- The tone of the film, comedy and irony and parody, blood and gore extremes, Mafia and drug dealing, gangsters and police and corruption? The Dracula story and traditions? All blended together? The comment of “gory and endearing”?
- The focus on Renfield, Nicholas Hoult and his presence, tall, with charm, but his memories of his greed, abandoning wife and child, hoping for a real estate deal, but becoming subservient to Dracula? Serving him, providing blood for him, responsible for so many deaths, innocent deaths? His exasperation with Dracula? Going to the self-help group?
- The old traditions, the Dracula stories, the Dracula films, the influence of Bela Lugosi, Nosferatu, Christopher Lee… And embodied in Nicolas Cage? Cage enjoying himself as Dracula, appearance, the teeth, the clothes, the decay for lack of blood, the gradual recovery, his domination, trapped in the circle by the priest and the trackers, appealing to Renfield, Redfield succumbing, Dracula escaping, two-timing, vengeful?
- Renfield telling his story, the first 10 minutes and the recapitulation, Mark and the people of the group, telling their stories? Renfield and his wanting to change, seeing Dracula as narcissistic, studying the book of how to deal with narcissists? His hiding Dracula in the warehouse?
- The encounter with the drug dealers, the assassins, the fights – and the no holds barred fights, blood, Gore, limbs flying?
- Tedward his mother, the family, the drug dealing, their mansion, the clothes? Tedward and his encounter with Renfield? The later deal with Dracula?
- Rebecca, on duty in the street, memories of her father, her partner, treatment by the other police, no promotion? Alienation from her sister?
- Redfield, at the cafe, the potential victims, the nuns, the bus of cheerleaders, the mayhem? Rebecca coming, being involved, capturing Renfield? His helping her, to his apartment, getting her breakfast?
- Dracula, his recovery, his power over Renfield? Coming to the self-help group, his destroying them? The fight with the criminals? Dracula and his power, enjoying his power? The link with Tedward, with his mother? The revelation that the police were corrupt?
- Redfield, his having to eat insects to get his strength, the boy with all the insects, buying them? His being able to be revived by Dracula’s blood?
- The buildup to the confrontation, Rebecca and the abduction of her sister, going to the dealers, confronting Dracula, making the deal with him? Renfield, gaining his strength, but fighting Dracula and losing it, Rebecca and her tricking Dracula, his blood dripping onto Renfield, Renfield survivor, Dracula trapped in the circle? Dracula destroyed? For how long?
- The revival of the members of the group, their continuing to share?
- The enjoyment of the homage to the old films, the variation on the Dracula themes, Nicolas Cage’s performance, the highlighting of Renfield?
