The Last Voyage of the Demeter (Mini-Review)

The Last Voyage of the Demeter is an adaptation of the "Captain's Log" from the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. Captain Elliot is getting old and so decides this next voyage of the Demeter will be his last. Unfortunately for him it is a cursed voyage with dangerous cargo onboard. Clemens, the ship's new doctor who joined when the ship needed more crew, tries his best to discover why animals and people keep dying. And, most importantly, if the killings can be stopped at all. The Last Voyage of the Demeter was released in 2023. It was directed by André Øvredal. It stars Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, and David Dastmalchian.

There are no mid or post credits scenes. So once the credits start, don't feel guilty for leaving.

I was interested in this movie due to Liam Cunningham and the creature design of Dracula. It looked to be a tense horror film set on a boat where no one could easily escape. This a movie I really wanted to see in theaters as soon as possible, which meant I made the poor decision to see it today. I really should have taken the opportunity to sleep in.

It was funny to find out that people are selling the chapter from Dracula that this film is based on as its own book. At least one having the 'Now a Major Motion Picture' sticker. You can buy the entire novel for how much these people are selling one chapter. Hopefully not many copies of these 'books' are being sold.

I want to talk about the full extent of what Clemens brings to this movie, but doing so would reveal major spoilers. What I can say is he is someone who initially doesn't believe in the supernatural. He only believes in what he can observe and is provable by science. Which, of course, means he can't comprehend what exactly Dracula is. Anna tells him that the vampire isn't a man or beast.

The movie starts off with people discovering the wreckage of the Demeter. The movie is titled The Last Voyage of the Demeter so it shouldn't surprise anyone that the ship is destroyed. There's also the fact that this an adaptation of a heavily adapted book. Well, technically, part of a heavily adapted book. Even if those things weren't the case, it is a very bleak opening that makes viewers beg for answers.

Dracula is extremely terrifying. For the majority of the movie there is no humanity to him. He does have some of the features of a man but it's a mocking imitation of one. I'm glad the movie commits fully to this so the audience has no comforting place once the bloodshed begins. Even near the end when he's shown as more human, there's no mistaking that humanity is just livestock to him.

I would highly recommend The Last Voyage of the Demeter to horror fans. I would also recommend The Last Voyage of the Demeter to fans of Dracula.