Film Review: The Last Voyage of the Demeter

Dracula is one of the most enduring books and characters of the literary canon. There have been countless interpretations, but one of the most fascinating sections of the book has gotten the big screen treatment in Universal’s The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Rather than focus on a big sweeping story featuring the diabolical villain, we approach a single point in his reign of terror. The movie might cut an imposing figure, and ultimately is just fine.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter begins on the shores of England where a ship has crashed into the rocks. Upon the constable’s arrival, he is met with a young man, traumatized from what he has seen on board and not wanting to read the captain’s log. After his superior begins to read the captains log, we’re whisked away to Romania. The Demeter and her crew have been contracted to transport a large cargo to England, and due to the load they need extra crew. Through some chance, Clemens, a young Black man, makes it on to the ship, despite being previously rejected. Once the ship sets sail mysterious happenings been occuring and Clemens finds a young woman in one of the boxes. Very soon after the crew realize they are being besieged by something unholy and wholly unnatural.

If you’re familiar at all with the source material, you know that the ending of this film is going to be bleak. If you didn’t know, the studio has made sure to give you a very helpful hint in titling the film The Last Voyage of the Demeter. This is of course a doomed vessel, so how then to draw out intrigue? Well this film is a bit of a mixed bag in that arena. The screenplay, written by Bragi F. Schut and Zak Olkewicz does well to take tips from other doomed vessel horror films and give us time to get to know the characters and then picking them off. There are some very moving human moments in the film that give the movie a much needed anchor (no pun intended). The dialogue did feel a bit existential, particularly in the latter half of the film, but you can forgive them given the characters are facing a threat like no other.

Director André Øvredal has made several horror films and his understanding of balancing humanity and a strong sense of dread is on display here. He makes good use of the canvas he’s given to conjure up some beautiful imagery and get some good to great performances. He also really leans into the futile struggle of the humans. However, much of the movie’s scares are directed as if he was afraid that the audience wouldn’t get it. Every single scare in the movie is accompanied by a loud noise or musical cue intended to jump scare the audience into oblivion. It’s shocking, not because the moments are scary or brutal (the movie honestly could have used more brutality), but because it reeks of an unsure filmmaking team. Rather than guide the audience through the tale, every set piece is given a soundtrack that drills into your head, turning those moments of dread into knocks as loud as the ones on the ship.

Speaking of ships, if you ever lamented the fact that there were no Black people on the Titanic or wonder how we would have fared, let this film be your guidance towards the Black experience on a doomed vessel. In all seriousness, the movie’s heart truly is Corey Hawkins, who plays Clemens. He’s a phenomenal actor and gives the film just the right about of stoic man to leading man journey that it needs. Liam Cunningham seems to get characters whose relatives don’t fare well on the high seas, but he’s nevertheless really good in this film and handles the weight of its most emotional scenes.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter will ultimately prove successful to audiences who don’t mind being bumped a little on a movie thrill ride. Though there is much to decry about the film, there’s enough present here to make the price of a ticket worth your while. Just get ready to queue up some quiet music when you leave the theater.