Renfield: First Blood

Chris McKay's Renfield is a Genre-Jumping Mess

Dracula: First Blood

Nicholas Cage as Dracula

Nicholas Cage was destined to take on the role of Dracula - it’s quite literally in his blood. I only wish his first portrayal of the Count wasn’t in Chris McKay’s half-baked action comedy Renfield. I really wanted to like this one.

Now that Chris McKay (Lego Batman, Tomorrow War) has three movies under his belt, we have a good idea of what defines a “Chris McKay film.” For example, a McKay film will take a script based on any genre and turn it into an action comedy. He’s already done it with animation, science fiction, and now horror. McKay’s movies also allow for a lot of improvisation. Typically, this results in comedians getting cast in an action film. Third, a live-action McKay film blends CGI and practical effects together.

Renfield fits this mold perfectly, which may catch some filmgoers off-guard ... especially if you’re seeing it for Nic Cage. In fact, we only see Cage’s Dracula for about 20-30 minutes, which is very disappointing. I had a blast watching Dracula’s narcissism on full display. And, I cannot stress enough how joyful it is to watch Cage’s Dracula rip vampire hunters apart. Speaking of which, McKay uses practical effects for many of the kills. For example, McKay uses a “blood cannon” to make a head explode, shooting what looked like blood and guts everywhere. Real “dummy” limbs were torn off lots of characters with mechanized blood cannons spraying in every direction. In another scene, a real squib blows up, making Ben Schwartz fly backward.

Nicholas Hoult as the titular Renfield, performing a stunt

Truly, the use of practical effects is this movie’s saving grace. It adds delightful chaos to what you see on screen. Don’t get me wrong, though - this movie was not Evil Dead 2. CGI is everywhere. In an interview, McKay said he shoots two practice takes followed by two takes with the blood and practical effects. If something goes wrong or looks bad during Take 3 or Take 4, McKay uses CGI to “enhance” or “correct” the scene. The result on-screen, however, is a total mess. I’m still not sure if the mess is charming or distracting. I’m erring on the side of “charming” only because of a specific shot I saw: Dracula murdered a guy and blood started shooting out of his orifices. The blood near the body looked real, but the splatter spraying further out was obviously CGI. But suddenly in one shot, the CGI blood disappears mid-air. I’m sure it was just a glitch, but unintentionally bad visual effects are fun.

I mentioned above that we only see Nicholas Cage for 20-30 minutes in Renfield. Just as you’d expect, watching Dracula gaslight his loved ones is very funny. The scenes in group therapy were clever too. Brandon Scott Jones deserves more recognition as a character actor.

But the runtime is 93 minutes, so another hour needed to be filled. That extra hour somehow made a 93-minute film feel bloated. McKay fills the Dracula-less hour with an odd, nonsensical B-plot that just doesn’t work. Imagine Channing Tatum’s 21 Jump Street remake, but with Nicholas Cage playing Dracula in a few scenes. You’d probably think that sounds like two completely different movies and you’re not wrong. The meat of the Renfield plot has nothing to do with Dracula or horror - it’s an action comedy starring Awkwafina as an honest cop trying to take down the drug lord who killed her dad. That’s right, McKay had Nicholas Cage and 65 million dollars at his disposal, yet he made 2/3 of his film a Lethal Weapon knockoff starring Awkwafina.

I have an idea for how this happened. Robert Kirkman came up with the original idea for the movie, but Ryan Ridley wrote the script. I wonder if someone took Kirkman’s idea and merged it with a completed script for a generic action comedy. It seems lazy, but we have examples of this like the Cloverfield universe.

Awkwafina as Rebecca, a new character in Dracula’s lore

Finally, I think the improv hurt this movie. Presumably, McKay cast Schwartz and Awkwafina for their improvisational skills. But, you’re adding two strong, defined personalities to a Nicholas Cage Dracula movie. And by allowing improv, you’re cutting the leashes off three of the most recognizable, loud, and uncontrollable actors in Hollywood. The clashes between horror, comedy, and action are already front and center. There was no need to let three distinct voices alter the dialogue. Obviously, the end result will look like a disjointed mess - as it did here.

Chris McKay said Cage’s work with Bruckheimer in the 90s inspired him. And this movie feels a little like a 90s Jerry Bruckheimer movie: loud, cheesy, and over-the-top with bad comic relief. McKay has said he likes movies that are accessible to general audiences. In that same interview, I think he mentioned Moonstruck being inaccessible because a playwright wrote the script. So, you know, I think McKay isn’t trying to make a sophisticated film. He just wants you to have a fun ride. And that’s great! But if you have an itch for horror, go see Evil Dead Rise instead. In a few months, check YouTube for an edited video of Nic Cage’s scenes in Renfield and watch that if you’re still interested.