Released: August 2023
Director: André Øvredal
Rated R
Run Time: 118 Minutes
Distributor: Universal Studios
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Cast:
Cory Hawkins: Clemens
Aisling Franciosi: Anna
Liam Cunningham: Captain Eliot
David Dastmalchian: Wojchek
Chris Walley: Abrams
Woody Norman: Toby
Javier Botet: Dracula/Nosferatu
There have been MANY adaptations of the character of Dracula. From 1922’s unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Nosferatu, to the various Christopher Lee films, to Francis Ford Coppola’s film starring Gary Oldman, and Van Helsing’s Richard Roxburgh, Dracula has captured the imaginations and nightmares of people all around the world for well over a century. So many actors have played the famed vampire. Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Frank Langella, and Rutger Hauer. This year saw TWO movies dealing with the Transylvanian count: Renfield and The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Demeter is the one I will be talking about today because it’s one of those movies that takes a different approach to Dracula. My favorite Dracula movie has always been a toss-up between 1932’s Dracula and Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation. Although, I will admit I do have a fondness for Mel Brooks’ send-up, Dracula: Dead and Loving It. When it comes to serious vampire movies, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is one of the better ones.
The film starts in a port in Bulgaria, where the crew of the schooner, Demeter, take on mysterious cargo in the form of multiple boxes adorned with the symbol of a dragon. After setting off for London, the crew discovers a female stowaway, Anna, in one of the boxes. Strange things begin to happen over the course of voyage with crew disappearing one by one. The ship’s newest crewmember/doctor, Clemens and Captain Eliot discover that Anna was not the ONLY stowaway on board. The other “passenger” is an evil being that feeds on blood. Anna reveals this beast to be Dracula. The remnants of the crew are forced into a desperate battle for survival against a creature of unbelievable power. Anybody who has read Bram Stoker’s novel or seen any of the adaptations will know exactly how this story ends. It is inspired by the captain’s log which was part of chapter 7 from the book. Yet, despite knowing how the story ends, it’s still incredibly compelling, because all the audience knew about the Demeter was that it arrived in London with all hands missing. We could only surmise what had happened. The Last Voyage of the Demeter explores this mysterious part of Stoker’s story in detail. Obviously, there’s going to be liberties taken, because of the lack of detail in the captain’s log. Despite knowing the outcome, this is an intense little movie.
Demeter differs from most movies based on Dracula, in which the focus isn’t on the monster himself, but rather the crew. The interactions between the crew members is great. Some of the characters are dirtbags, but most of them are just trying to make a living only to find themselves being threatened by something completely unnatural. The reason why the chemistry between the characters is so strong is because of the cast. Cory Hawkins plays Clemens, the newest member of the crew who tries to make logical sense of what’s going on. Liam Cunningham is outstanding as Captain Eliot. The character is tough, fair, and about ready to retire. Cunningham brings the right amount of world-weariness that the character requires. David Dastmalchian as Wojchek? There’s something otherworldly about how David inhabits a character. He’s a chameleon. He can go from playing a goofy superhero character like Polka-Dot Man to a straight-faced Harkonnen in Piter de Vries in Dune. Aisling Franciosi plays Anna, the stowaway. The only other movie that I saw this actress in was The Nightengale, which was a very brutal period piece set in New Zealand. She’s outstanding. Her character is the only one that really knows what’s going on, yet she tries to help.
You wouldn’t think a movie dealing with Dracula on a boat wouldn’t be intense. You’d be wrong. The Demeter is not the biggest ship, but it’s big enough to have enough hiding spaces for a vampire. If there’s a movie that I could compare this to, it would be Alien. It sounds cliche, but it IS an apt comparison. It’s also incredibly claustrophobic. Between being out in the open sea with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. It’s incredibly atmospheric and there were definitely times where I felt the hairs on my neck stand straight up. The movie is a bit of a slow-burn, but when it all hits the proverbial fan, it hits hard. When you’re talking about a movie that’s inspired by a piece of Stoker’s novel, you need to see the beast himself. THIS version of Dracula, is not the sexy version that you see in the Christopher Lee films or even the 1992 film. This thing is an absolute monster, and the creature’s design is incredible. It’s clearly inspired by the 1922 film as well as Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot. The creature is played Javier Botet, a Spanish actor and writer who stands at nearly 7 feet tall.
For a movie that has only a 45 million dollar budget, it looks and feels a lot bigger than that. I have to credit the film-makers for making the most of that budget. It’s also surprisingly easy to see things going on despite the darkness in the film. The set designs are incredible. The schooner looks and feels like a ship that people have actually lived and worked in. Same thing with the costume designs. There is definitely some CGI here, but for the most part, the effects are practical. Honestly the only negative thing I can really say about this movie is simply the fact as a fan of Bram Stoker’s novel and the various adaptations that have been made since, I know how this part of the story ends. Between the outstanding acting, great atmosphere, and white-knuckle tension, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is not only a pleasant surprise, but it’s one of the better vampire movies I’ve seen in the last couple of years. With all due respect to Nicolas Cage’s outrageous performance as Dracula, THIS one is far more terrifying. Sadly, according to several box-office reports as of this writing, Demeter is going to flop, and it’s going to flop hard. It’s too bad, there’s a great movie here for fans of Dracula and vampires in general. It’s a lot better than I was expecting it to be. I guess people are skipping it because they’re unfamiliar with this part of Dracula’s story. Still, The Last Voyage of the Demeter comes as a must-see recommendation from me. Check it out if you can.