Indulge me for one moment and let me take you way back to 1988, I was 14. My best friend's brother worked in the local video shop and used to acquire the latest releases for us.
One day my friend brought home a film. A vampire film. The Lost Boys. I was completely bowled over and that was it! I learnt the script (I wrote the whole thing out), I watched it over and over and I fell in love with vampire films.
I have in recent years managed to see it at the cinema a couple of times. The best being when I was lucky to meet Alex Winter, who played the vampire Marko. I got my poster signed and he was lovely!
Fast forward to 2023 and I love seeing any new addition to the genre and their particular take and approach to vampires and how they 'work'. For example:
How the vampire came to be (Blade)
How to kill a vampire - Death by Stereo.
Are they sensitive to sunlight - (Lost Boys, Blade, Twillight)
So, I was very excited to hear about Renfield. Comedy horror is one of my favourite genres, I love Hoult and Cage and it just looked so much fun. I wasn't wrong and it didn't disappoint.
Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) is the long-suffering servant (familiar) to Nicolas Cage's Dracula. He sacrificed his life to try and better his family's prospects. Originally Dracula and Renfield hit the good time and life was good.
Fast forward to present day and Renfield is now the long-suffering servant, desperate to break free and finally live his own life again. Attending support meetings for those in controlling relationships, both for himself and for some extra food for Dracula. After some particularly challenging requests from Dracula - 'nuns and a busload of cheerleaders' he ends up in a situation where he saves a load of innocent bystanders from an attack by local mafia leader, Tedward Lobo, played by Ben Schwartz. Renfield ends up saving local cop Rebecca's life (Awkwafina) and starts to fall for her.
This is just a great addition to the comedy horror genre. So many great fight sequences, with a LOT of blood, exploding heads, arms coming off, the whole lot.
I think one thing to point out is that this isn't Dracula's film, this isn't Nicolas Cage's starring role. He is a supporting character, this film is all about Renfield, his journey, his salvation and road back to something of a life again. It's Hoult's film. Cage is, however, absolutely brilliant as Dracula. He walks the line perfectly between comedy and being very sinister indeed, which pleasantly surprised me. He is, of course, over the top, but what would you expect from Nicolas Cage as Dracula!
Hoult is perfectly cast as Renfield. Starting off downtrodden by his over-bearing and controlling boss, but then beginning to realise who he is and who he wants to be. He is funny, tragic and great in the action sequences.
I've saw it twice at the cinema and now own it on Blu-ray. Need I say anymore!
Go get your teeth into this asap!
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