Renfield

4/17/2023

Nicholas Hoult is the eponymous vampire "familial" whose job it is, is to cater for the needs of his toothy master (Nicolas Cage) who is distinctly under the weather. He is gradually tiring of the relentlessness of his tasks - especially as procuring food for his boss is becoming more and more difficult; as well having to rely on his own unsavoury diet of bugs - they give him super strength for a few moments. Meantime, the ballsy police officer "Quincy" (Awkwafina) is trying to finally nail "Teddy Lobo" (Ben Schwartz) whose mother "Bella" (Shohreh Aghdashloo) heads up the city's most ruthless gang of drug dealing hoods and who has bribed just about every city official. Serendipity takes an hand when "Renfield" comes across this officer in a diner and after a lively altercation the two find

4/18/2023

_Renfield_ is an okay horror comedy. It has a ton of potential with its excessive amount of blood and Nicolas Cage is worth the price of admission alone. The action sequences have all of their entertainment value sucked away by the end of the film; mostly because they all feel so similar. The humor and story reach a brick wall that the filmmakers refuse to stop pounding your face into. _Renfield_ is like the junk food version of a horror comedy. It has all the right ingredients for something that should be fantastic, but its recipe for action, comedy, and satisfying storytelling is imbalanced to the point of near disgust. **Full review:** https://boundingintocomics.com/2023/04/18/renfield-review-bite-suck-not-laugh-repeat/

4/19/2023

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ www.firstshowing.net/2023/review-chris-mckays-renfield-is-precisely-what-its-expected-to-be/ "Renfield is yet another movie that provides precisely what it promises - with an unbelievably ridiculous, purposefully silly story about the toxic relationship between Dracula and Renfield, expectedly elevated by the "OTT King" Nicolas Cage and an up-to-the-challenge Nicholas Hoult. The light, humorous environment leaves space for action sequences that are also intentionally excessive in all technical elements, which makes the entertainment levels inconsistent due to the continuous blend of quick cuts and outrageous amounts of blood. The dedication of the stunt team deserved better and much more screen time. Still, if you're a Cage fan, you won't be disappointed."

4/22/2023

Over the decades countless movies, plays, books, comics, video games, and television shows have depicted Vampires in various mythos which often include differences in behaviors, abilities, and, motivations. While there have been many Vampires, none have ever achieved the fabled status of Dracula who has been the template ever since Stokers’s book and the classic original film as well as subsequent appearances. In the new film “Renfield” audiences are introduced to Renfield (Nicholas Holt), who recounts his past as an ambitious lawyer who ended up serving Dracula (Nicolas Cage) as a Familiar when his original intention was to close a real estate deal. After his Master is injured after another attempt by Vampire Hunters, Renfield relocates Dracula to New Orleans and looks to find su

4/23/2023

If not for a trademark over-the-top Nicolas Cage performance and a truly inspired fight scene in an apartment complex, “Renfield” would be a total disaster of a movie. It’s certainly not any good and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, and the real horror of it all is the way director Chris McKay blows what should have been a slam-dunk premise. Set in present day, Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) is the tortured, loyal assistant to Dracula (Cage). He’s served his master for decades, taking care of everything from getting his cape dry cleaned to procuring fresh prey for dinner. After centuries of servitude, Renfield is finally ready to move on and create a life of his own. Although it is mostly dead in the water, the film’s pacing never feels slow. There’s plenty of entertainment, it’s just n

5/5/2023

Its been a while since I've seen Nicolas Cage in a role, I feel, does him justice. Renfield gives Cage the opportunity to shine. His comedic take on Dracula combined with the "very English" performance, handed in by Nicholas Hoult, makes this film work, in spite of itself. The comedic premise behind Renfield is highly original, I'd even say, quite clever. Whats not so intelligent, however, is the handling. The potential for comedic flair and fun is drowned, in good measure, by the over the top, often rather grotesquely visceral, blood soaked, violence. Violence that's on the cusp, of the proverbial, splatter flick. In summary, a moderately watchable film that leaves the compelling feeling, it could have amounted to more, with subtler, less violent, treatment.