Renfield

Story: A loyal servant of the blood-sucking and evil Dracula must believe in his inherent goodness and the power of self-love to defy his master. But his redemption will come at a cost.

Review: A fountain of blood gushing out a human body, arms being ripped off and used as weapons, bad guys being hit with bone-crushing intensity and a blood-thirsty monster always ready to sink his teeth into human flesh - welcome to the dark world of Count Dracula (Nicolas Cage). He embodies evil and has the power to manipulate and destroy people, physically and mentally. One of his victims is Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), who has been mindlessly serving blood to his boss as he temporarily transforms into a killing machine. But he wants out after his chance encounter with an honest cop Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina), who is nursing her old wounds. Together, they are up for some real trouble and a lot of violence.

The strongest aspect of the film is the stylish action scenes that are bold and unique. Imagine a fountain of blood splashing out of a person or one blow breaking all the bones in the body. It’s the ‘John Wick’ level of action choreography interspersed with smart and intelligent use of special effects. It looks very real and deserves to be enjoyed on the big screen.

However, the screenplay (by Ryan Ridley) can be inconsistent, with tonal shifts between the darker and comedic elements at times feeling jarring. This is mainly because the comedy is barely funny. The film's concise runtime is a plus, as it keeps the pacing tight and prevents the story from feeling dragged out. Director Chris McKay ensures that the action is served at regular intervals with just the right space for character development in between.

Cage's performance is the highlight, as he appears to thoroughly enjoy playing his menacing character. His makeup could have been a little less gimmicky, as it tends to detract from his character's intended menace. Hoult does well playing a very young-looking old man with his boyish charm firmly in place. Awkwafina looks slightly out of place in her de-glam avatar of a cop on duty wielding just a service revolver in the face of mass destruction. However, we would expect such a motivated police officer to first get rid of some excess weight before getting rid of all the powerful bad guys.

Overall, the writing and the climax are predictable yet satisfying. But in the end the one thing that will stay on your mind is its fresh and manic approach to the classic vampire story told with stylised and bloody action that is not for the faint–hearted.