Maybe this should’ve been the movie to launch the Dark Universe. Renfield should meet Elisabeth Moss’ character from “Invisible Man” in the sequel, honestly.
“Renfield” picks up in the present day, decades after the titular character became a servant to Dracula (Nicolas Cage). The former attorney, who tried to pull off a land deal with the vampire, now lives a life where he has superhuman abilities, but has to use his powers to get humans for the Count to feed on.
Growing tired of the life he has, he decides to join a relationship therapy group not only to vent, but also track down the abusive partners to give to Dracula. In one attempt, though, he crosses the dangerous Lobo crime family. This puts a target on Renfield’s back, and at the same time, Dracula becomes angry with him because the vampire senses disloyalty.
“Renfield” has a vibe sort of similar to one of the earlier films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, although this picture is much bloodier. There are super powers, an engaging protagonist and plenty of humor to go around, with some self-awareness.
Another similarity is the film takes a fairly formulaic route when it comes to story-telling, as well as having a rather forgettable antagonist (not Dracula BTW). The outcome is an action comedy with a splash of horror that is entertaining and has some good ideas but at the same time, plays things too safe.
It’s a movie where the things that work in the film really work well. The picture hits some great heights with a few fantastic set pieces and a few laugh-out-loud moments. However, there are also plenty of points where the movie falls off into mediocrity.
Some elements of the film seem rather underwritten, from the main conflicts to supporting characters and a portion of the humor. The story, which again, feels generic at times, also seems awkwardly paced and rushed.
It’s a tight 90 minutes, which I can appreciate. However, considering the lore at play and some of the relationships being developed, the movie could have been either a bit longer, or dedicated its time differently. Fortunately, while there are some issues, the cast manages to have an audience buy in from start to finish.
The most notable is Cage as the infamous vampire. This is a very eccentric, expressive and even somewhat strange Dracula, and Cage’s energy is so right for it. He is fantastic as the vampire, delightfully devilish in his approach, adding the right amount of camp while still portraying a menacing figure.
Hoult, meanwhile, feels completely in his element. From the “X-Men” series, to “Warm Bodies” and “Mad Max: Fury Road,” Hoult has shown himself to be superb at portraying genre-picture characters, and the same is true here. He captures his character’s clear exhaustion and exasperation with his lot in life, and his renewed drive when he realizes he can be a hero.
Awkwafina was pretty good, too, although she’s given a stereotypical cop background and she doesn’t get much of an ability to really use her comedic abilities to their full potential. Ben Schwartz and Shohreh Aghdashloo, who portrayed the film’s villains, though, were both quite forgettable, not adding much to already simple characters.
“Renfield” has plenty working in its favor, but it still has some things holding it back. However, despite its weaknesses, it’s still an enjoyable film. There are exciting fights, a great deal of over-the-top bloody moments and enough humor to be worth checking out. 3.5 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 
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