It is not new that vampire films call the attention of the public and specialized critics. With several options available, the viewer can choose from those teens with glowing vampires (like the ones in the saga Twilight), to the more cult ones that explore the figure of the famous Count Dracula. In April 2023, another option hits theaters. Its about Renfield: Giving Blood for the Boss, by director Chris McKay. Playing with horror elements, but drinking more from the source of comedy, the feature is a good alternative for those who want to have fun and have a few laughs.
To begin with, the plot accompanies the young (not so young) Renfield, a man who worked as an insurance broker and who aspired to close the business of his dreams to be able to give his family the life he always dreamed of. Moved by this desire, he is introduced to a nobleman of high society, Count Drácula, who introduces him to a dream world, but ends up turning him into a familiar — a kind of slave who, in addition to taking care of the house, has to find victims for him. feed yourself.
Already tired of this job, but still chasing necks for his boss, Renfield joins a support group for codependents of toxic people. It is from then on that his life is completely transformed and he finds the key to get rid of the clutches of the most powerful vampire of all time.
A great Dracula and an excellent minion
Focused on creating a Dracula to call his own, McKay — who also signs Tomorrow’s War e A Lego adventure — invested in the controversial Nicolas Cage to live the central character, and we can say that he nailed it.
Sagacious and abusing facial expressions, Cage managed to create a Dark Lord (as the vampire is also known) intelligent, slender, friendly and macabre at the same time. As he cannot express himself very well due to the prosthesis with an infinity of teeth he uses in his mouth, the actor abused his body and face to set the tone for the character.
The prosthesis in question gets in the way at times, but it is also a beautiful work of makeup and characterization that hits not only on the teeth but also on the clothes of the Lord of Death, after all a Dracula is not a Dracula without his beautiful cape, he is not same?
As an antagonist to the vampire, we have his lackey, the character who gives the title of the film its name; Renfield, brilliantly lived by Nicholas Hoult. The actor who has participated in productions such as Mad Max, a big boy e My boyfriend is a zombie, appears more expressive on stage and has no difficulty oscillating between anger and tenderness. His character looks nothing like Tyler, from O Menuwho was nothing more than a dazzled fool.
Another positive point is that his height (the actor measures 1.90 meters) compared to that of Awkwafina (1.55 meters), who lives police officer Rebecca Quincy, is a good counterpoint and makes the duo’s scenes even more comical. .
Awkwafina stands out, but supporting actors are not surprising
Still talking about the actress who lives the fearless police officer Quincy, what can be said is that she is a great addition to the feature. With humor in the right measure, Awkwafina plays well with both Renfield and Dracula, and still manages to sustain the scenes in the police department, opposite actors who add little to the work.
With the exception of her, the other supporting actors do not fill their eyes. Ben Schwartz plays Lobo, a spoiled, silly drug dealer, Shohreh Aghdashloo plays a sadistic criminal, and the rest aren’t memorable enough to stand out. The exception is Jenna Kanell, who plays Carol, one of the participants in the codependent support group. Even with very few lines, she shows that she had enough potential to gain more screen time, if possible.
A vampire in the best Afternoon Session style
Making a hodgepodge of humor, terror and action, Renfield: Giving Blood for the Boss it’s a movie that smells like Session in the Afternoon, and a good option for those who want to gather their friends and laugh a little. The feature tries to mix blood, romance, police pursuit and everything else that is possible and delivers what is expected; a simple plot, but well executed that pleases if expectations are aligned.
Therefore, the film is worth the price of admission to the cinema, but it is not a memorable experience, one that you will never forget. Anyone who wants to give history a chance can guarantee tickets through the ingresso.com.
