Review: Nicolas Cage provides the comedic bite in Dracula spoof ‘Renfield’

“Renfield” is funnier than it should be and gorier than expected.

It’s also a messy film that features Nicolas Cage in one of his oddball acting moments — the type found in early career efforts that remain memorable.

The Oscar winner (“Leaving Las Vegas”) developed a reputation of committing to a role and in the process created memorable characters such as H.I. McDonough in the Coen Brothers’ underappreciated classic “Raising Arizona” and the love-struck Ronny Cammereri in “Moonstruck.”

Fitting with his latest, he even reportedly ate cockroaches in “Vampire’s Kiss,” a movie about a man who thinks he’s been bitten by a bloodsucker of the night.

Although that film is now 35 years old, Cage seemingly has come full circle in portraying an unhinged Dracula and he does so with unrestrained glee. The remarkable part, as the title suggests, is that he’s not really the focus of the film as his co-dependent henchman Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) takes center stage.

Now convalescing and nesting in New Orleans, the two are up to no good as Renfield has to continue to feed his boss fresh kill in order for him to heal. That leads him into the lives of Rebecca (Awkwafina), a cop and the drug dealer responsible for her father’s death.

Renfield, in the meantime, is dealing with his own issues — the main one: Dracula and his self-centered nature. Sure, immortality sounded great in the moment all those years ago when he agreed to serve as the evil vampire’s man servant. But in current times? He sees Dracula for the narcissistic monster he is and he wants out from under his master’s thumb. And where better to get the courage than a self-help group?

His yearning to break free creates a lot of collateral damage, miscommunication and, yes, laughs.

Make no mistake: “Renfield” is far from perfect, but director Chris McKay gets some moments in from a script written by Ryan Ridley (“Rick and Morty”) and Robert Kirkman (“The Walking Dead”), including some inspired use of a past cinematic incarnation of the knight of darkness.

McKay (“The Lego Batman Movie”) brings his subversive sense of humor to the film, including over-the-top graphic violence that’s meant to generate laughs more than scare.

Cage is perfect tonally and comedically in the role while Hoult as a nearly century-old man getting in touch with his emotions is a perfect foil. Add to the mix Awkwafina’s raucous behavior and appreciate it for what it is.

It’s a messy experience, but “Renfield has something to bite into and enjoy.

George M. Thomas dabbles in movies and television for the Beacon Journal.

Review

Movie: “Renfield”

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult, Awkwafina, Ben Schwartz

Directed by: Chris McKay

Running time: 1 hours 32 minutes

Rated: R for bloody violence, some gore, language throughout and some drug use

Grade: B-

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Review: Nicolas Cage, Nicholas Hoult tell vampire’s tale in ‘Renfield’