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The premise is great (Renfield needs to disengage from his co-dependent relationship with his gas-lighting narcissistic and overly demanding partner Dracula), but the film completely lacks any heart. While Cage is hamming it up like there is no tomorrow, and Hoult is perfectly passable as a version of his "Warm Bodies" character from more than a decade ago, we are not offered much in the vein of sympathy for the supporting cast.
Case in point, the Awkwafina/sister/Dad plot is paper thin and only referred to in exposition (it is supposed to be driving the entire plot as far as I can tell); and while the film is frequently funny and the action sequences are sometimes near-Deadpool level entertaining, there is a whole film that seems to somehow have gone missing. Was there some massive studio interference thing, and/or is there a director's cut out there that is actually somewhat comprehensible?
Nobody involved could possibly have been happy with the end result as it stands. It's like an overly long Super Bowl commercial mixed with an ad for Better Help.
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Nothing 'happened' to it. It was a lukewarm film at best, but that doesn't make it bad. Even being bad doesn't mean anything 'happened' to it. Lots of films are even worse and yet they're exactly the film that was intended to be made.
But it is bad in ways that could easily be fixed. Flesh out the mob subplot if you are going to include it, and write better dialogue for your supporting cast. Presto, a better film.
Also, like someone else mentioned here, a lot of scenes seem pretty choppy, as if a bunch of story was deemed superfluous and just left out. It doesn't gel very well.
While I completely buy the notion that not all films will be the way I want them to be, to squander this much potential is borderline criminal. If this was screened before release they could have created a superior cut for sure.
OK we'll agree to disagree on that but again, nothing 'happened' to it. So far as anyone knows it's the film the filmmakers wanted to make and release.
Sounds like you answered your own question, bud
I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. It wasn’t a classic, but it was fun all the way through and Cage is always reliable.
I laughed a lot.
I dunno, maybe it wasn’t as great as it’s potential, but I enjoyed it. Parts of that movie were the hardest I’ve laughed during a movie in a while.
Idk I liked it 🤷
I enjoyed it quite a bit.
I watched the deleted scenes and they definitely should have stayed in, they gave the movie more depth, had more jokes, even had a whole character with lines who, well she exists in the movie as it is but has no lines. It feels like the studio heads saw an early rough cut and said, ok this movie is already a flop, cut it down to 90 mins max and pray that people see it just for cage. And I bet there's even more deleted scenes that weren't on the dvd that hadn't been cleaned up yet visually. So yeah I'd love to see a directors cut and they could totally make one, but I can't see the studio spending the money for it sadly.
'Renfield had such potential, but it feels like something's missing, right? Cage's over-the-top performance was a rollercoaster, and Hoult brought his A-game, but the story lacked depth.
And I'm with you on the director's cut idea. Maybe there's a version out there that fills in the gaps and makes everything click. It's a shame when a movie with such promise falls short like this.
Akwafina's character is a descendent of one of the vampire hunters in the novel.
And yes, the movie was in development hell as the Monsters Universe unravelled. Pretty silly gross movie, I thought.
I really enjoyed watching Nic Cage have so much fun being Dracula. The silly little "woo!" He does in one scene is now commonly quoted in our house.
Could it have been better? Sure! Was it a dumpster fire of a movie? Not at all.
Let the Right One In has a Renfield type character relationship that is actually moving. If you're looking for a good take on the vampire copedendence theme.
I remember when MOST movies were looked at as just fun entertainment and not everything had to be some instant classic. It was just a fun rhomo and we would all say "well, THAT didn't make sense, but tbf, he IS a vampire. So it's no biggie.
Most movies are just ok, and that's how it should be.
People today act like if it's not above 88 on RT it was a bad movie.
It felt like a movie that would have worked as a 5-15 minute comedy bit or short film. Guy complains about his weird relationship in therapy, getting increasingly weirder with what he's talking about, until dracula walks in and kills everybody? That's a fun time and a good idea. Stretching it to a full movie and trying to make Renfield into some sort of superhero origin? The novelty wore thin very quickly.
I was so hyped for "Renfield," but dang, what a letdown! Cage was in full Cage mode, and Hoult was just okay, nothing special. But seriously, what's up with that thin plot for Awkwafina and the fam? Feels like it was just slapped on for filler.
You hit the nail on the head - where's the heart? It's like they forgot to add that ingredient. And don't get me started on the missing chunks of the story. Studio meddling, maybe? We need a director's cut ASAP! Hope they fix this mess 'cause nobody's happy with it. It's like a fancy commercial with no substance.
Eh.