This movie hemorrhages dark comedy, but we were expecting more laughs. Without much of a plot, it ’s evident Nicholas Cage as Dracula enjoyed every minute exposing his sharp-toothed, bloody grin. Director Chris McKay (The Tomorrow War, The LEGO Batman Movie) uses massive geysers of blood and detached body parts as tools for comedy. But the screenplay by Ryan Ridley (Ghosted and Rick and Morty series) could have had Cage and Nicholas Hoult as his indentured servant display a lot more chemistry and humor.
The premise is that Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) sold his soul to Dracula, centuries ago in exchange for eternal life while bound to care and feed his master. Dracula (Cage) relishes every bite continually wanting more. He’s a hungry, growing vampire.
Renfield really wants to end his codependency, tired of trying to satisfy The Prince of Darkness. But the rest of the film is a series of action scenes with flying bodies and limbs, which aren’t all that well done. The special effects and stunts are a little cheesy, not always well-edited, but super bloody providing enough distraction. The costuming and makeup seem sort of faux retro, and poor Drac’s teeth don’t seem to fit. They look more like dentures. He looks a bit disheveled all the time, but, after all, he’s old…really old.
Renfield just wants to be a normal, good guy and goes to group therapy to hear the people in the session complain about the despicable people in their lives. That’s who he wants to go after. His good intention is to rid those in therapy of the evil in their lives and provide a new supply for Dracula. One problem, Drac could taste the evil and really wanted pure souls, e.g. cheerleaders, nuns, virgins, and not only women. He didn’t seem to be a misogynist.
The group therapy leader, Mark (Brandon Scott Jones) does a great job being the consummate nurturer getting those attending to describe those baddies so that Renfield knew who to go after. Renfield stumbles across a crime family dealing in drugs led by a truly vile human being. Teddy Lobo (Ben Schwartz) is even more evil than Dracula. You see where he gets it from when you met his low raspy voiced mother, Bella Francesca Lobo, (Shohreh Aghdashloo). She’s very scary.
Rebecca, (Awkwafina) is a cop who’s been tracking the Lobo family for a couple of years. She’s consumed with bringing the Lobos to justice for personal reasons. Renfield and Rebecca start looking out for each other going after Teddy Lobo and his gang, while bringing home more bloody bacon for Dracula.
There is plenty of fighting, destruction, and death with rich, red blood flowing like wine. Renfield has one superpower he resists using that was bestowed upon him by Dracula. When he eats any kind of bug, his eyes glow gold turning on super hero strength in battle. He provides plenty of mayhem.
The Nicholas vs. Nicholas chemistry just isn’t there, and the plot line seems forced just to create an abundance of gory, bloody scenes. Nicholas Cage looks like he is having the time of his life, but not so much for the sweet, well-meaning Nicholas Hoult. And Awkwafina, usually the funny one, has to play it straight. There are some laughs, but there could have been more to sink your teeth into.
Universal. 1 hour 33 minutes. R
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