It has been over 125 years since Bram Stoker wrote his most famous novel, Dracula. Since then there have been over 200 movies that include or are somehow related to the original story including movies about vampires. Some are serious dramas while others are more humorous in nature. The latest of the latter category is Renfield, which was released in theaters earlier this year. Starring Nicolas Cage (Con Air) and Nicholas Hoult (The Menu), it offers a glimpse inside the mind of Dracula's assistant (or Familiar), Renfield. This week the Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD combo has been made available for purchase.
Renfield has been serving Dracula for upwards of ninety years but every time they find a place to live, Dracula becomes greedy and consumes so much human blood that the locals become suspicious. They then have to once again, pack up and move. This latest journey has them staying in an abandoned charity hospital in New Orleans. It is there that Renfield goes to a co-dependent support group and comes to the realization that he is being abused by Dracula and looks for a way to "regain his power".
Cage has dreamed of playing certain iconic roles, one of them being Superman and Dracula being another and his portrayal of the Prince of Darkness suits this film well. Hoult has a knack for expressing so much emotion through his eyes and that trait is a benefit here as he says so much without being able to really verbalize his feelings. Awkwafina (The Little Mermaid) is well... Awkwafina. She has a sharp wit and excellent comedic timing which makes her a good casting choice for Rachel, the incorruptible cop. Ben Schwartz (Parks and Recreation) rounds out the main cast by playing a role we don't generally see from him.
The effects, considering many of them were done practically rather than CGI, look really good in 1080p resolution. Dark tones are layered and colors overall are deep and rich. The transfer is clean with no noise to be found.
The DTS HD Master audio 7.1 saturates each scene whether it be the ambient noise of the New Orleans nightlife or the sounds of gunfire exploding all around. The dialogue is crisp while sitting in the front speakers as the surround sound envelopes the viewer from all angles.
The combo pack comes with the Blu-ray Disc, DVD disc, and a digital download housed in an embossed cover sleeve. The extras are plentiful and give some insight as to what it took to film this movie. The best part is actually the feature on how they created so many of the special effects practically. It is a true art form that hopefully won't get lost in the digital age. The extras include: Deleted & Extended Scenes, Alternate Takes, Dracula Uncaged Monsters & Men: Behind the Scenes of Renfield, Stages of Rejuvenation, Flesh & Blood, Fighting Dirty, The Making of a Deleted Scene: Renfield's Dance! and Audio Commentary.
The problem with Renfield is that it is too serious to be campy yet too campy to be a drama. It is categorized as a horror comedy but the jokes fall flat, even with Awkwafina. The horror is definitely there with gruesome prosthetics and blood gushing everywhere but there wasn't any moment that made me laugh. The writers should have decided to either be a comedy or a horror film and written the script accordingly.
Renfield has some good action and the aforementioned gore but it also tries to be somewhat serious as Renfield explores his co-dependency with his master, Dracula. Unfortunately, the group therapy sessions should have been funnier than they actually were (not that mental health should be made fun of) and the result was more sympathy for what comes across as pathetic rather than comedic interludes between "battle" scenes.
With so many Dracula movies to choose from, this one wouldn't be in the top fifty.
Grade: C
