Renfield is a modern monstrous tale that is directed by Chris McKay.
This movie was incredibly entertaining as who doesn’t want to see Nicolas Cage portray the Prince of Darkness, Dracula? At one point, a homage to Bela Lugosi is given, in a ghoulish yet very “Cage-like” performance, and it works. In other scenes, he is just a blood-thirsty and tyrannical vamp, out for... well, blood. Also power, world domination, you know the usual.
Renfield, his devoted servant, played by Nicholas Hoult is awesome and fits his role well. Now as brutally violent as this film is with some graphic fighting scenes, it can be triggering for many because of the obvious themes that go outside the supernatural realm.
Renfield is a self-loathing character and really a shell of himself, acknowledging his co-dependency to Dracula. Stumbling into a support group for domestic abuse, Renfield’s recollection of how it all started for him feels more exaggerated since he possesses supernatural powers, but still mirrors those in the human world, who live to tell their painful stories. We’re rooting for Renfield though to find that courage to leave and get out of Dracula’s grasp forever.
While the movie still has some laughs for its absurdity, you might get an eyeful from all the blood splatters. Some of the scenes are totally outrageous and gore-filled, and parts of the story seem to zig zag all over the place at high speed.
Overall, definitely one to check out, but if you have experienced abuse on any level, past or even present, please make sure to check in with your emotions after the credits roll.
💜Renfield Trailer
Dear Evan Hansen directed by Stephen Chbosky is a musical/film adaptation of the Tony and Grammy Award-winning stage play.
When Evan (played by Ben Platt) is prompted by his therapist to write letters to himself, in order to help him cope with his crippling anxiety, a note gets into the wrong hands of a misfit student, Connor Murphy (Colton Ryan), who takes it. There is a sudden shock of Connor’s suicide shortly after and that’s where the story gets complicated. The Murphy’s are convinced that him and Evan were great friends, as the single note was found in Connor’s pocket. Knowing that Connor had even one friend is comforting to them and something his mom desperately is holding onto, now inviting Evan into their family, which feels like the replacement son. Evan is then caught up in a fantasy that they were friends and shares all sorts of adventures that they went on to make the family, in particular their daughter, Zoe, (Kaitlyn Dever), who Evan secretly pines for, believe that this was the truth. Evan starts to write other letters to keep up the charade until it all comes crashing down.
This is a very heavy movie. It highlights the silent struggles of mental health, and the cascading toll it takes on everyone, just from different perspectives. Evan can be seen as a victim or a villain, sometimes both maybe, depending on how you perceive things.
Many of the songs are imperfectly sung in a heart-wretching way from Words Fail and For Forever to Requiem. The lyrics are poignant and we feel the deepest aches through so many of the scenes.
While the stage musical got rave reviews (I never had a chance to see this one) it seems like the polar opposite holds true for what the film tried to portray through its chosen characters, surrounding mental health as well as neurodiversity. While I understand some of the criticism, regardless of your position, I think one thing is pretty evident, “The parts we can't tell, we carry them well, but that doesn't mean they're not heavy."
💜Trailer
Guess who’s back, back again? Ghostface’s back, tell a friend. We’re onto #6 of the Scream franchise now, directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett.
Although I wasn’t sure that this would be any different than the other Scream films, this slasher and whodunnit mystery took me by surprise, simply with the opening scene setting the stage for what would proceed to be a very violent viewing.
Since the intensity of the movie itself never dulled with Ghostface this time just being so relentless with every stab, I think they did a good job keeping that excitement because there were so many moments where I kept second guessing myself. I did like the dynamic sisterly bond between Tara and Sam (Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera) but found the other characters were more on the forgettable side.
I was also momentarily happy to see Gale Weathers (Courtney Cox) make a brief return, but she was disappointing too, and didn’t really hold much of a purpose, except a sense of nostalgia maybe. Her fight with Ghostface was mediocre, definitely not the intensity that you’d find in for example, Jamie Lee Curtis who took on Michael Myers, in the most recent Halloween.
While I don’t think this was the best Scream, I did enjoy it. A little brutal for some who are squeamish, but definitely a heart-pumping ride till the masks come off.
If you see a ghost, you call ghostbusters. If you hold a grudge, be sure to call Ghostface and he’ll come a runnin’.
💜Scream Trailer
