I was skeptical at first. Nicolas Cage as Dracula? How could this possibly work? Nevertheless, Renfield works. A box office flop, I suspect that audiences may not be ready for a comedic treatment of Dracula, but this is a smart, savvy take on a classic, combining superhero films with vampire lore. Let me take a step back here. Renfield is a bit of a slippery character, shifting places with Jonathan Harker in Bram Stoker’s original. He is Dracula’s servant, but here he’s presented as becoming aware that he’s a codependent enabler. In his seeking victims from the narcissists who cause pain in the lives of a church support group, Renfield comes to realize that he’s also a victim. He teams up with the one honest New Orleans cop who’s not on the payroll of the local mob, and together they rid the Big Easy of both vampires and organized crime.
Overly ambitious? Yes. But the comedy actually works here. This is a funny movie with several laugh out loud moments. Maybe it’s CGI, but in several shots Cage actually looks like Bela Lugosi. Nicholas Hoult does a wonderful interpretation of Renfield, the madman of the original movie, as well as factotum to the dark prince. Those who know and appreciate vampire lore will find many subtle insider jokes here. And Cage undertakes a campy, yet compelling version of Dracula. Endlessly self-referential, the movie is a skillful blend of vampires, self-help wisdom, and even social commentary. I’d heard that my expectations shouldn’t be too high here, so I was pleased when they were exceeded on almost very point.
Horror comedy is difficult to pull off so that viewers feel satisfied that they haven’t wasted their time. Renfield manages to do this with style, action, and even a bit of drama. I have an inkling that over time this will become one of those movies that appreciates with age. The story is convoluted, but this is in service of the comedy. Everything is so wildly improbable—from eating bugs to gain super powers to Dracula’s blood bringing the dead back to life—and hilariously overblown that it overcomes the difficulties attending such a mashup. It’s as if Cage knows viewers don’t always take him seriously, and yet he rises to the occasion. With nods to The Matrix and Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as the vast library of Dracula films, Renfield is the result of homework done and boundaries crossed.