My favorite section of the classic novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is the account of the crew of the ill-fated Demeter. It’s only one chapter in the book, but the description of the crew’s time being stalked and picked off by a creature they couldn’t understand, was harrowing.
Now, that chapter is getting an entire movie dedicated to it with The Last Voyage of the Demeter. Corey Hawkins (Straight Outta Compton, In the Heights) plays Clemens, a scholar who gets hired on to assist the crew headed back to London. Their voyage seemed cursed from the moment that a few large, mysterious crates are placed in the ship’s cargo hold.
Very quickly, tragedy strikes the crew and things only get worse with each passing night. With infighting and suspicion growing, the crew must find a way to defend themselves against a phantom that is the stuff of nightmares.
The cast of Demeter is made up of veritable character actors. Joining Hawkins is Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) as the captain, David Dastmalchian (The Suicide Squad) as the doubtful second in command, and Aisling Franciosi (The Nightingale) as a mysterious stowaway. Each of these actors gets a chance to describe their characters’ lives and aspirations outside of the voyage, but those subplots are largely discarded when the carnage begins.
I think much of what this movie is missing is the care and consideration for the crew of the Demeter. The title spoils the story, so at least we, as an audience, should care about the victims and fear for how they go out. However, most of the crew are very one-dimensional and we can only hope that the moment they’re attacked by the ailing Dracula is at least over-the-top. The script plays it very much like a standard slasher flick, whereas it had every chance to be 1979’s Alien, but on a rickety cargo ship.
Fans of Bram Stoker’s work may quickly see where they added filler to this very short chapter and that’s to be expected with a two-hour feature. Sadly, what’s added doesn’t add to much to the mythology. I did really like Corey Hawkins and the effort he put into his role here. He easily pulls of the anchor role to show audiences what it’s like to be part of a new crew, but also be the logical one that can find ways to mitigate being the creature’s next meal.
This story within Demeter is a very standard and without many twists or turns, but what it’s missing is the terror. There are a few jump scares, but it’s truly missing any sort of fear factor. Director André Øvredal has made accessible and simple horror with Troll Hunter and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, but he doesn’t focus enough on the shadowy figure and presence of Dracula on the boat. There’s a few creepy mist-covered shots, but there’s little thrill about it.
My favorite part of Demeter is the creature design. While Dracula gets more CG over the course of the movie, there are some dynamic practical shots that upped the realism and grisliness. Having a body actor in costume for much of the scenes adds so much to the experience.
The Last Voyage of the Demeter gets to its destination, but much like the tragic ship, it’s in shambles. This isn’t a bad movie by any means, in fact it’s worth a good cheap matinee or later Halloween viewing, but it won’t be the horror surprise of late summer. I liked the cast, but didn’t care much about their characters’ places in the story. I loved how Dracula looked and the practical side of the creature. I just wish I got surprised with tension and scares. C+
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