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| Image courtesy of Universal Pictures |
One lone chapter of Bram Stoker’s Dracula novel comes to cinemas in the latest iteration of the classic vampire tale. Presented much like a version of Alien aboard a doomed vessel, actor Corey Hawkins leads the charge in this claustrophobic and gothic horror story. Where so many others would play hard and fast with gore and violence, The Last Voyage of the Demeter relies on brooding camera work, character development, excellent creature effects, and a dynamic cast. Plenty of bloodshed and flesh chewing are thrown in for good measure as the lord of darkness unfurls himself from his slumber.
As an expansion of the 16 page chapter from Stoker’s Dracula, the gothic film takes much of its style and inspiration from the classic Nosferatu. Set in 1897, the film chronicles the events that take place while the vampire transports himself in a shipping crate on a sea bound vessel from Transylvania to London. As he travels from his castle to Carfax Abbey, the ship’s loyal crew begins to suspect that evil has boarded their boat. Quickly and expectedly, they begin to fall victim to his thirst for blood.
The resulting story is one we’ve seen before in many other versions, but stretched to a full run time of nearly two hours. Nothing in the movie is highly original or creative but does present an expansion of the legacy character without redefining or changing much of what has come previously. Using a haunted house vibe to full effect, there are plenty of interesting kills and scares to keep the premise moving along at a good pace. Adding to the positives is a relatively strong score from Bear McCreary that pumps fresh blood into the material and scenery with actors like David Dastmalchian along for the doomed ride continuing his long run of creepy characters.
There are many comparisons that can be made with Demeter. The aforementioned Alien and The Thing are two obvious films that this takes hard notes from. The idea of a crew trapped with an unknown and deadly force is nothing new but is presented with enough originality and style that the film still feels relevant and stylish enough even for the most die hard of horror fans. And the idea that no one is safe from the creature adds an extra layer of fear to a movie that could have played it much safer than it does. Director André Øvredal (Trollhunter, The Autopsy of Jane Doe, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark) understands the fine line between overuse of gore and actual storytelling which has him in fine form here. It may not be his best work to date and lacks some of the heart of his previous entries but is overall a worthwhile watch that finally does something a bit different with the legendary book. This spends zero time on the origins of Dracula, instead setting us down right in the middle of his chronology as he spreads his wings.
There are some scenes that don’t feel fluid and hamper the overall final movie. But overall, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is an entertaining entry that would have fared much better during the Halloween season. Releasing against the powerhouse duo of Oppenheimer and Barbie was a drastic mistake on the part of Universal Pictures.
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