‘Nicholas Cage as Dracula’. Those words alone are enough to pique even the most ardent critic’s interest. As a lifelong fan of the legendary performer, his recent catalogue of movies have been welcome treats and ‘Renfield’ thankfully is no exception.
But let’s back up a bit because this is, as the title suggests, is Renfield’s story. Dracula’s long-suffering servant has, like his master, become an icon. Unlike the debonair and terrifying Vlad Dracul, however, the man-servant has instead become a symbol of the eternal henchman. This movie is not the first time a story has looked at things from his perspective either. ‘Renfield’s premise, in fact, brings to mind the absolutely brilliant short story ‘The Vampire’s New Clothes’ by Martin L. Shoemaker. While not as humorous (or narratively consistent) as Shoemaker’s tale, ‘Renfield’ is a joy to watch nonetheless.
The story follows Robert Montague Renfield as he attempts to break free of Dracula and become his own man after decades of serving him without complaint. Seeing the two characters’ dynamic is one of the highlights of the film. The pair are absolutely on fire here; funny, dramatic, and terrifying to just the right extent whenever they are in a scene together. But this does lead to one of the movie’s major failings.
Renfield’s story is juxtaposed against that of Detective Quincy and her quest to take down the Lobo crime family. Where we get humor, classic callbacks to the great Bela Lugosi, and an intriguing plot with the first story, the second falls flat. In fact, in some ways it feels like two different movies welded together.
This of course is no fault of the actors involved, who mostly do a serviceable job. But the detective/mob plot creates a number of issues with the main storyline of the film and at times leads to gaping plot holes that are hard to ignore. There’s also a lack of logic whenever the two storylines collide that can be absolutely distracting. One scene early on puts this front and center: the seemingly normal Det. Quincy merely nods and shakes Renfield’s hand after watching him perform multiple Mortal Kombat-style fatalities that shouldn’t be humanely possible.
Which brings me to another point: as delightful as the movie’s mayhem can be it does put it outside the age bracket of the little ones. This is not a monster mashup for the Twilight crowd: bones crunch, heads fly, and at least two people are impaled. Some of it can be ridiculous in an entertaining way, others not so much. Its hard not to wince in later scenes where Renfield and Quincy channel their inner Kung Lao.
Its problems aside, ‘Renfield’ is unapologetically what it suggests it is: a wicked romp that gives you a memorable Prince of Darkness that will keep a smile on your face despite its low points. Move over Edward and Bella, the original vampire is back.
Ismael David Mujahid, Managing Editor