Tired of tending to the unique dietary needs of his boss, Dracula’s hapless sidekick, Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), attempts to free himself from the abusive vampire (Nicolas Cage) only to find himself trapped in a web of corruption involving a New Orleans crime syndicate and the city’s dodgy police department. Renfield attends a support group with other co-dependent souls to talk about their “monsters.” He says affirmations: “I am enough.” “I deserve happiness.” The script has fun blending modern self-help approaches with dusty vampire tropes. It’s a great premise, fortified with scenes of gorey, limb-ripping, blood-splattering mayhem, enhanced with sounds that crunch and slurp. Plus, there’s Cage camping it up with slicked-back hair and a mouth full of fangs. But, like many gimmick-heavy efforts, the narrative collapses under the weight of its own contrivances. Directed by Chris McKay (“The Tomorrow War”) from a script by Ryan Ridley and Robert Kirkman, “Renfield” is a showcase for Hoult, who has already proved his comedic chops on Hulu’s “The Great,” which returns for its third season May 12. He brings the same manic energy to the part. Awkwafina plays the good cop on the beat and has her own motivations for taking down the bad guys. Ultimately, if these folks can take a bite out of their demons, anyone can.
Rating: R for bloody violence, some gore, language throughout, and some drug use
How to watch: Available to rent via video on demand and showing in a handful of theaters, including AMC Boston Common.
Grade: B
‘Polite Society’ kicks ass
Martial arts meets Jane Austen in writer-director Nida Manzoor’s feature debut “Polite Society.” The movie is full of sass, class, sisterhood and Bollywood. Sixteen-year-old Ria Khan (Priya Kansara) comes from a close-knit family of working-class Pakistani immigrants living in London. Ria is an aspiring stunt woman who spends most of her time filming videos to show off her moves, proclaiming “I am the fury” as she tries to land her elusive aerial spiral kick. Rage propels her to block the coming marriage of her older sister, Lena (Ritu Arya), a struggling artist on the verge of giving up her passion to become the wife of the town’s wealthiest bachelor (Akshay Khanna). Nimra Bucha is the domineering mother-in-law, a Bond-like villain who sneers and smiles in the same sentence. She’s a master manipulator. (Aren’t they all?) Ria, all scrappy and headstrong, is aided in her mission by her schoolgirl friends, delightfully played by Seraphina Beh and Ella Bruccoleri. Their sabotage includes hacking into Salim’s laptop and leaving used condoms in his bed. Eventually, Ria’s conviction and fighting skills pay off. She discovers a dark side, and how it all plays out is a mix of comic-book action, crass comedy, and a kidnapping plot that is executed with all the details of an “Ocean’s 11” heist. In other words, it’s right up my alley.
Rating: PG-13 for strong language, violence, sexual material, and some partial nudity
How to watch: Available to rent via video on demand and showing in a handful of theaters, including AMC Boston Common and Coolidge Corner Theater.
Grade: B+
Drippy ‘Paint’
In “Paint,” Owen Wilson dons a permed wig, a pipe, and a paintbrush to star as a Bob Ross-type artist considered the rock star of a Vermont public television station. Wilson’s Carl Nagle gets himself all in a bunch when a younger artist (Ciara Renée) joins the team and airs in the slot after his show. She steals his spotlight. An identity crisis ensues, causing Carl to re-examine his life’s choices, which include hooking up with every female co-worker in the back of his custom van. Ewwww!!! Lucy Freyer, Stephen Root, and Michaela Watkins up the ante in supporting roles, but the paint dries pretty quickly for writer-director Brit McAdams. The movie, like its protagonist, is stuck in a time-warp, presenting a chauvinistic oddball that no one really likes. Wilson (“Wedding Crashers,” “Marry Me”) playing a weirdo just isn’t enough this time.
Rating: PG-13 for sexual and suggestive material, drug use, and smoking
Where to watch: Available to rent via video on-demand
Grade: C
‘Dungeons & Dragons’: Adventure time
“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves,” the role-playing adventure game with a cult following, comes to celluloid life with a lot of heart, humor, action, and two dashing heroes in Chris Pine and Regé-Jean Page. The plot follows Pine’s Edgin Darvis as he rounds up a group of golden-hearted misfits to rescue his daughter (Chloe Coleman) from the Lord of Neverwinter, Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant, relishing in villainy). Michelle Rodriguez provides the muscle, Justice Smith delivers the magic, and Sophia Lillis is the shapeshifter. Along the journey, the group fights monsters and dragons (of course), executes daring escapes, and hunts for mysterious tablets that can resurrect the dead. And, yes, that is indeed Bradley Cooper in a fun cameo. Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley co-direct. Don’t worry if you’ve never played the game. I haven’t, and the movie still casts a spell … or maybe it was Pine’s Jolly Rancher blue-hued eyes.
Rating: PG-13 for fantasy action and violence and some strong language.
Where to watch: Showing in a handful of theaters in Boston and the ‘burbs or stream on Paramount+ on May 16.
Grade: B+
Boston Movie News 