The Last Voyage of the Demeter, 2023.
Directed by André Øvredal.
Starring Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian, Chris Walley, Stefan Kapičić, Martin Furulund, Nikolai Nikolaeff, Woody Norman, Jon Jon Briones, Javier Botet, Graham Turner, Nicolo Pasetti, Christopher York, and Love Yonk.
SYNOPSIS:
A crew sailing from Carpathia to England find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo.
This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, The Last Voyage of the Demeter wouldn’t exist.
Whether or not one has or hasn’t read Bram Stoker’s Dracula (or is generally familiar with the vampire), it’s fairly clear where The Last Voyage of the Demeter is going to end up. As such, director André Øvredal doesn’t necessarily bother trying to misdirect, looking at the remains of the now derelict Demeter, a Russian schooner with a crew unknowingly transporting Dracula among the cargo. It’s one chapter in the iconic book, here blown up and fleshed out with one or two character-based twists along the way, into an atmospheric two hours that may not take full advantage of its premise and intriguing character dynamics but is elevated by a strong ensemble injecting enough emotion to offset a subpar script from Bragi F. Schut and Zak Olkewicz.
As a man comes across the captain’s log (which is also the title of the book chapter) amidst the wreckage and begins reading from it, the film flashes back to the beginning, introducing viewers to Captain Elliot (Liam Cunningham). He is prepping for a lengthy journey from Carpathia to London, adding on to his crew in the form of a doctor in Corey Hawkins’ Clemens, who earns a spot on the ship and trust from the captain upon saving his son Toby (Woody Norman) from suffering an accidental fatal disaster.
Given that Clemens is also a Black man in 1897, it’s no spoiler to say that the entire crew is not welcoming, even becoming suspicious and accusatory once things start bumping in the night at sea. When pressed to explain why a doctor is interested in going on such an arduous voyage, he mentions that there is evil in the world and that his desire is to make sense of it.
Needless to say, Clemens gets more than he bargained for on that front, also thrust into the standard inner battle between strictly following science and acknowledging that a demon is aboard the ship. And while The Last Voyage of the Demeter is more concerned with Dracula (terrifying when played by Javier Botet, and less so when relying on CGI mayhem) viscerally picking apart and sucking the crew’s blood one by one, the idea of the vampire as a symbol for that makes the film a tad bit more chilling.
Alongside a ragtag group that includes racists, religious nuts, hotheaded first mates, and drinkers, is the discovery of a woman drained of blood. Clemens takes it upon himself to perform a blood transfusion, much to the crew’s chagrin, who would rather not deal with the problem and focus on getting the cargo to London since they are promised a significant bonus if they get there within a certain amount of time. Once the woman, comes to (but not before some brutal, bloody losses along the way), she reveals herself to be Anna (Aisling Franciosi), connected to Dracula, also providing some familiar backstory. However, she also delivers a nuanced, heartbreaking performance.
Again, since this is just one chapter of Dracula, there is no spoiler in saying that The Last Voyage of the Demeter is an exercise in watching these characters getting killed off one by one (likely able to predict the order in which they die as the film goes on). Naturally, some are easier to care about than others, with André Øvredal (who has been building up quite the horror reputation for himself) unafraid to head to some dark, disturbing places that ratchet up the intensity and descent into madness.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter still has the occasional jump scare to be expected from studio horror and some unfortunate-looking CGI storms, complete with an unnecessary stinger ending. However, the tension is here, effectively pulling off this Alien-inspired take on Dracula. It’s the last voyage, but hopefully not André Øvredal’s last endeavor in exploring his take on the world of Dracula.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
