In 1897, Bram Stoker wrote the novel Dracula, creating a fictional character, R. M. Renfield. This year, a film produced and directed by Chris McKay known for his directorial debut, The Lego Batman Movie (2017), creates the horror comedy Renfield, starring Nicholas Hoult as Robert Montague Renfield and Nicolas Cage as Count Dracula.
Nicolas Cage as Dracula
Dracula love-bombs Renfield and the former English lawyer narrates, “And then he made me his familiar.” In short, a servant! He takes care of the master’s every need and staff changes, even arranging dietary requirements. The menu consists mostly of bloody human bodies from violent encounters.
Vampire hunters have weakened Dracula and he is slowly recuperating in New Orleans with Renfield by his side. Renfield’s power and immortality come from eating bugs and insects. The servant joins a support group in the hope of furnishing his master bloody victims to gain back his supremacy.
Policewoman Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina) who works as a traffic enforcer is in hot pursuit of Teddy Lobo, who belongs to the biggest family-owned crime mafia in the area. Her impossible goal: to bring down the Lobo empire. The angry young officer is hurting for the murder of her father caused by the Lobos.
Nicholas Hoult and Akwafina
Either way, it might be Rebecca’s career steeping stone or she might be hitting the rock bottom. Not one member of the police force sides with her for obvious reasons.
It is a fun movie indeed with Renfield narrating his co-dependency with his evil master before he comes to his senses. Dracula becomes choosy with his meal. “I want happy couples, unsuspecting tourists, a handful of nuns, a busload of cheerleaders,” he orders his lowly follower. The purity of the victims will restore Dracula to full health.
The abused and ever loyal Renfield comes to a restaurant looking for potential victims and he witnesses how Rebecca stands up to Teddy at gunpoint. Will love spark between an immortal and a mortal being?
A violent fight erupted with the duo Renfield and Rebecca helping one another and killing Teddy’s gang members. In Rebecca’s eyes, he is a hero. He saved her life. Never has it crossed Renfield’s mind that a person can see him as a good person. His support group edges him to focus on his needs and be empowered against his employer.
Renfield heeds the call and gets a new apartment, hoping to stay away from his horrible boss who plans to dominate the world and be an immortal god. He wants freedom and has applied by heart the teachings of his self-help group.
Dracula feels betrayed and comes to his apartment, manipulating the young man, making him feel guilty that he has abandoned him, just like what he did to his wife and daughter in his past life. He exacts revenge on his once-loyal servant by slaughtering the members of the Livespring Church.
Rebecca arrests Renfield for the murder and, by bad luck, she becomes a wanted fugitive, thanks to Teddy and his mother, who have formed an alliance with Dracula. The rebelling policewoman is asked to join the count as he utters, “I am the dark poetry in the hearts of all mankind.”
Will darkness find a way out to see the light? When Rebecca’s sister, the injured Kate (Camille Chen), is used by Dracula as a bait to get Rebecca, it looks like evil has won over our leading comedy star. But Rebecca is wise enough to trick the old guy by exposing him to the sunlight and collaborating with Renfield to cut him into pieces.
Dracula’s blood brings life back to the members of Livespring Church, much to everyone’s delight. In this film, there is one lesson: It is never too late to be a hero.