Renfield

  

     With a story by Robert Kirkman (of Walking Dead fame), you know to expect a lot of  violence and gore. This new horror comedy certainly has plenty of both but at it's core is a clever story that offers plenty of laughs and action as well.

      Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield. Those familiar with the mythology will know that Renfield is the crazed bug eating servant of Count Dracula. In this updated version of the story, Renfield is tired of his co-dependency and tries to break free of Dracula's hold on him. At the same time he befriends a New Orleans cop, played by Awkwafina, trying to take down a local criminal organization.

       Nicolas Cage plays Count Dracula and he is clearly having a blast in the role. There is even a black & white homage to the 1931 original Bela Lugosi version of Dracula that is spot on. Mr. Cage does put his own spin on the character though and is a great deal of fun to watch.

       Mr. Hoult is just as committed to his role as Mr. Cage and shows great range as a co-dependent weakling turned action hero (with the help of eating copious amounts of bugs). The film also co-stars Ben Schwartz (perfectly cast) as the criminal son of Bellafrancesca Lobo, the crime lord, played by Shohreh Aghdashloo.

         It's definitely a crazy mix of horror, comedy and action but if you're looking for something really different, take a bite. Just don't mind all the blood.