Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Renfield review notes that the film starring everyone’s favorite Nicholases, Cage and Hoult, is a bloody fun film.

Just when you think you’ve seen every remake, reboot, retelling, sequel or prequel about Dracula that could possibly be produced, along comes Renfield with an original premise and a macabre sense of humor that, surprisingly enough, has you ROFLing at the sight of blood spewing from headless necks.

Not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but really, how can you not appreciate a cast that includes Nicolas Cage as Dracula, Nicholas Holt as his “familiar” Renfield, Awkwafina as a police officer love interest, Ben Schwartz as a sleazy  gangster and Shohreh Aghdashloo as his crime boss mom?

Renfield review — The Plot

It seems that Dracula has fallen on hard times, run out of sunlight-free places to hide, as well as innocent people to suck the life out of. Without his faithful assistant Renfield, who he has finagled into finding him fresh blood, he would have perished long ago.

Now we find Renfield and Dracula holed up in present day New Orleans. But the faithful assistant, after all these devoted (coerced) decades, is having second thoughts.

He’s attending a support group for people in toxic relationships and begins to see the damage his wayward life wrecks on himself and others—especially on the abusive partners of his fellow group members, whom he harvests for Dracula. He finds some moral comfort in this. He’s a work in progress.

As Renfield progresses toward breaking free of Dracula and pursuing a “normal” candy-colored life, perhaps with the dedicated Officer Quincly, he encounters resistance from his evil employer and a diabolical gang family.

Outrageously brutal yet comedic mayhem ensues, the kind you find it a video game or Tarantino movie, not to be taken seriously.

Sure, the plot could have been stronger and less Swiss cheesy, but most movie goes will be grateful for the fact that it’s just a tad over an hour and a half in length. Director Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War, The LEGO Batman Movie) seems to have a firm grasp on just how much an audience can take without being overly engorged.

Rated R

1 Hour 33 Minutes

If this Renfield review makes you want to sink your teeth into the film, find times and tickets at Fandango.com.

Lisa Johnson Mandell’s Renfield review notes that the film starring everyone’s favorite Nicholases, Cage and Hoult, is a bloody fun film.