Renfield was what I hoped it would be, a clever comedy that doesn't descend into parody, pays tribute to its source material, and plays with larger ideas while being entirely entertaining. The film keeps a tight runtime making sure its premise doesn't overstay its welcome. It walks a very fine line on the camp factor without falling over the edge which is especially impressive since... well, it stars Cage. Overall Renfield like another Universal film taking its inspiration from the studio's classic horror catalogue (The Invisible Man) manages to take the ideas and run with them in extremely modern, interesting, and most importantly, entertaining ways.
Hoult is a character actor with a leading man's face and he pulls off a fascinating character that is struggling with codependency. The film's story brings him through some real recovery. I liked that the film committed to its analogy of using Dracula as a template for toxic relationships, and didn't just play it for a joke. The film is funny and skirts the edges of silly, but like the best comedies believes in itself wholeheartedly and therefore we as the audience can too.
Cage is wonderful here. As I intimated he doesn't push it too far, capturing just the right balance of camp and actually scary. The film integrates scenes from the classic Legosi film that are masterfully done. Renfield is homage not parody, and makes for a compelling companion piece.
McKay has pulled it off. I think the film could have slid off the rails at a number of points but for me it all worked and was truly enjoyable.
Renfield
Starring: Nicholas Hoult, Nicolas Cage, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Adrian Martinez
Director: Chris McKay
Writer: Ryan Ridley
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