Renfield

Goddamn I wish I had made this movie! Framing Dracula & Renfield in this co-dependent, self-help world is the perfect blend of horror and satire that I’ve tried all my life to achieve. After the set-up, the story itself doesn’t unfold in a masterfully original way. It’s really bloody, which is great, but there’s a cops vs gangsters subplot that only partially kept my attention. Playing with and re-calibrating the “rules” of vampires is really clever, and there’s some outstanding, unexpected solutions found at the climax using the old legends and tropes. It’s a fun night, even though it never dares to go for anything beyond silly.