The Last Voyage of the Demeter
Cast:
Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, David Dastmalchian, Liam Cunningham
Director:
André Øvredal
Written by:
Bram Stoker, Bragi F. Schut, Zak Olkewicz
Run Time: 1 hour, 58 minutes
Rating: R
Universal Pictures
2023
*Spoilers
A crew sailing from Varna (Bulgaria) by the Black Sea to England find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo.
I’m going to start off by saying that I found this film very entertaining and refreshing. It was a nice return to the scary “creatures of the night” that vampires are supposed to portray onscreen and in literature. As a fan of the Universal Monsters and vampires in general, I was very excited that we would finally be getting a film about the mysterious ship in Chapter 7: The Captains Log” from the classic novel, ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ originally published in 1897.
Obviously, the biggest challenge for the writers and director would be to make this film engaging, suspenseful and surprising. Given that a vast amount of its audience know how the story of the ship ends in the novel, I think they succeeded. They found a way to deliver a scary and beautifully told story of the final days of the crew. Despite what we know happens in the book, we are still rooting for the characters to survive. Now don’t let what I say stop you from watching this film. There are still some surprises that I won’t spoil for anyone who has yet to watch it.
What I will tell you is that the film is directed competently and beautifully shot, with great cinematography. The scenes take you and isolate you right in the middle of the ocean. The small setting of the ship at night sets the tone for a terrifying claustrophobic feeling where everywhere one looks there is death. To stay on board is to die. To jump is to die. Faced with this certainty, the crew must fight or perish.
The cast did a phenomenal job conveying disbelief and terror, followed by acceptance of their situation and finally, the will to survive. David Dastmalchian (Late Night with The Devil, The Suicide Squad) is a standout as Wojchek, the tough but honest chief mate who eventually shows he has more heart than he’d like others to see. Corey Hawkins’ Dr Clemens plays the heart of the film, going against the crews wishes and saving the mysterious woman, when she is discovered stashed away in a crate full of dirt below deck. Clemens does multiple blood transfusions to try and slow whatever is making her sick despite protests from the other crew members. Anna was portrayed by Aisling Franciosi (The Fall which is a very underrated gem, The Nightingale, and Speak No Evil) She takes this role and runs with it, making you root for her to get revenge on the creature that was feeding on her for days in the dark bowels of the ship. From victim to total badass. And last but not least, Liam Cunningham as Captain Eliot. He plays a father who loves life on the sea but loves his son more, wanting to give him a better life with books instead of waves and grass instead of ship decks. I love how they play into the classic trope “two days until retirement ” from several 80s and 90s action movies. (If you know, you know)
The most important part of any horror film is the creature designs and gore. The Last Voyage delivers with something truly original, giving us Count Dracula stuck somewhere in the middle between man and bat. The duality of man and beast, but more beast. I was very impressed with the creature effects and happy that they chose to go in this direction. A flying vampire could come across cheesy onscreen but they found a way to make it exciting and intimidating. Especially when Dracula speaks. The gore and effects were done very well, albeit a little more conserved but shown at the right times in ways that propels the story. Along with the dark tone and strained gothic setting, it made for a fun nightwatch overall.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I enjoyed The Last Voyage of the Demeter for what it offers the audience: A unique look into what happened on the ship that brought Dracula to London in the classic novel. From the claustrophobic setting to the beautiful gothic cinematography, from the actors deliveries to the creatures design, from humanity to inhumanity. I would recommend this film for fans of horror, vampires and period pieces or anyone looking to enjoy themselves for two hours on a Saturday Night.
A Gothic Horror on the High Seas
A chilling, claustrophobic voyage into darkness, The Last Voyage of the Demeter delivers eerie gothic horror with stunning cinematography and a terrifying Dracula. The cast shines, the creature design is nightmarish, and the suspense keeps you hooked—even if you know the ending.