Nicholas Hoult is the eponymous vampire "familial" whose job it is, is to cater for the needs of his toothy master (Nicolas Cage) who is distinctly under the weather. He is gradually tiring of the relentlessness of his tasks - especially as procuring food for his boss is becoming more and more difficult; as well having to rely on his own unsavoury diet of bugs - they give him super strength for a few moments. Meantime, the ballsy police officer "Quincy" (Awkwafina) is trying to finally nail "Teddy Lobo" (Ben Schwartz) whose mother "Bella" (Shohreh Aghdashloo) heads up the city's most ruthless gang of drug dealing hoods and who has bribed just about every city official. Serendipity takes an hand when "Renfield" comes across this officer in a diner and after a lively altercation the two find themselves united in their determination to achieve their goals. To be honest, the story is pretty lightweight and just reminded me of an episode of "Buffy". What makes this a bit more fun is the two characterisations. Hoult joins in. He is clearly having fun with his insects and his acrobatics. Cage is also up for the task at hand. He is super-hammy and at times reminded me more of Sir Anthony Hopkin's "Hannibal Lecter" than of anything Christopher Lee ever did. I saw this on my own in a cinema last night which was a bid sad - it's not a great film, but it is still a mildly amusing mickey-take of this genre (and of what passes for film-noir nowadays) and though instantly forgettable, is still a well produced and enjoyable enough gore-fest.

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_Renfield_ is an okay horror comedy. It has a ton of potential with its excessive amount of blood and Nicolas Cage is worth the price of admission alone. The action sequences have all of their entertainment value sucked away by the end of the film; mostly because they all feel so similar. The humor and story reach a brick wall that the filmmakers refuse to stop pounding your face into. _Renfield_ is like the junk food version of a horror comedy. It has all the right ingredients for something that should be fantastic, but its recipe for action, comedy, and satisfying storytelling is imbalanced to the point of near disgust. **Full review:** https://boundingintocomics.com/2023/04/18/renfield-review-bite-suck-not-laugh-repeat/

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FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ www.firstshowing.net/2023/review-chris-mckays-renfield-is-precisely-what-its-expected-to-be/ "Renfield is yet another movie that provides precisely what it promises - with an unbelievably ridiculous, purposefully silly story about the toxic relationship between Dracula and Renfield, expectedly elevated by the "OTT King" Nicolas Cage and an up-to-the-challenge Nicholas Hoult. The light, humorous environment leaves space for action sequences that are also intentionally excessive in all technical elements, which makes the entertainment levels inconsistent due to the continuous blend of quick cuts and outrageous amounts of blood. The dedication of the stunt team deserved better and much more screen time. Still, if you're a Cage fan, you won't be disappointed." Rating: B-

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