Change the name of the vessel, restructure a few plot elements (and how they’re revealed,) and don’t give away the ending in the title and I think there’s a decent horror movie here.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter is based on a single chapter of Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel, Dracula. The novel that has spawned hundreds of spinoffs of its own in film, literature, and popular culture didn’t warrant a two-hour movie focused solely on one of its 27 chapters, did it? Apparently, director André Øvredal and screenwriters Bragi Schut Jr. and Zak Olkewicz thought so. Immediately, anyone who’s familiar with the source material knows how the movie will end. And, if one hadn’t seen any of the myriad of screen adaptations of the original novel, the filmmakers decided to recap the fate of the Demeter and its crew at the beginning of their movie.
So, when I tell you that the Demeter is the name of the ship that brings Count Dracula from Transylvania to London so he can continue his pursuit of victims in England, I’m not spoiling anything. When a character in the film tells you that the entire crew is dead less than 5 minutes into the movie, I’m also not spoiling anything. The script takes care of that. Hell, the title care of that.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter focuses on what transpires on the ship during the journey to England. We’re introduced to the crew, including Captain Eliot (Liam Cunningham,) his first mate, Wojchek (David Dastmalchian,) and his grandson, Tobey (Woody Norman.) As crates are loaded onto the ship in a Romanian port, locals are recruited as additional crewmen. Clemens (Corey Hawkins,) a doctor, tries to get an assignment onboard the Demeter, touting his medical and astronomical knowledge as assets. He’s refused by Wojchek because he appears to be lacking previous shipping experience. When the man hired in his place recognizes the dragon symbols on the cargo being loaded, he flees his post. Clemens replaces him.
After the first nightfall at sea, strange things transpire on the ship. Clemens discovers Anna (Aisling Franciosi,) a female stowaway, in the cargo hold. She’s pale and unconscious. He gives her blood transfusions in an effort to revive her. The crew bristle at her discovery since having a woman onboard is considered bad luck. Each consecutive night brings another mysterious occurrence. Each one making it more obvious than the last that someone or something is on the ship that doesn’t belong.
Of course, the audience already knows what’s going on. Not only has the beginning of the movie telegraphed the plot, but the film shows us the vampire’s every move. There’s no mystery for us. There’s no suspense. All of the considerable effort made to create an atmosphere is wasted because the movie relies on cheap jump scares to do the heavy lifting. The movie is its own worst enemy.
There are some bright spots. The special effects are top-notch. Count Dracula (Javier Botet) appears as a sort of man-bat that recalls the form of 1922’s Nosferatu. Bear McCreary’s musical score is tremendous without being overwrought. And, Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton) and David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil) both deliver performances above and beyond what’s necessary for the material they’re given.
It’s a shame because the premise of the film is actually intriguing. Change the name of the vessel, restructure a few plot elements (and how they’re revealed,) and don’t give away the ending in the title and I think there’s a decent horror movie here. One I’d much rather have seen.
2.0 out of 5.0 stars
