Last Voyage of the Demeter

Director - Andre Ovredal (The Autopsy of Jane Doe, Troll Hunter)

Starring - Corey Hawkins (Kong: Skull Island, The Walking Dead), Aisling Franciosi (Game of Thrones, God's Creatures), and Liam Cunningham (Clash of the Titans, Masters of the Universe: Revelations)

Release Date - 2023

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "The legend of Dracula is born"

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Horror has a lot of iconic stories but very few are as memorable as Bram Stoker's Dracula. This iconic tale has spawned countless movies, unofficial sequels, and some may even argue that is created an entire sub-genre to horror. It's one of the most recognizable stories that has been adapted many times on film. While I love the story of Dracula, I will be the first to admit that I'm tired of all the adaptations telling the same story. That's why I was very excited for The Last Voyage of the Demeter. I was really looking forward to watching a film about the ill-fated crew on the ship that brought Dracula from his homeland to Carfax Abbey. Sadly, I wasn't able to check this one out in theaters but as soon as I could work it into my schedule I did, and it just happened to be right after I watched another movie starring David Dastmalchian. 

      The film follows the doomed crew of the Demeter as they make their way to England unknowingly with Dracula in tow. The crew is uneasy at night and when they discover a woman aboard claiming to be the food supply for a creature in a coffin like crate they are transporting. Soon they realize that their ship is now a crypt, and everyone's life is in danger. 

      I went into The Last Voyage of the Demeter hearing a lot of mixed things about it. Typically, I enjoy the horror titles that get a lot of hate from genre fans. However, when a film divides the horror community like this one did then I'm a little weary of it. However, after finally seeing the film, I can see why so many disliked it but I enjoyed it especially as a pop horror flick. The acting in this one is pretty solid. A lot of the male crew blended into the background or was simply there to die. However, some of the crew did stand out and had great character development. With that being said, the entire film was well acted but not everyone stood out or was as memorable as others. The story for this one is an interested spin on a known story that so many genre fans know and love. The film takes one small portion of the book and turns it into a feature length film. While the pacing does struggle from time to time, I was still impressed by how far the story was able to go and didn't feel claustrophobic. Finally, the film has a lot of blood, make-up effects, and visual effects that fit the film very well. While I think the visuals will not age that well, I really did like the make-up effects shown in the film. Overall, The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a bit of a slow burner but once it picks up it delivers. I really enjoyed how it brought us a famous part of Bram Stoker's Dracula that we have never seen before. Fans of the novel should check this one out