THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER *** USA / UK / Malta / Italy / Germany 2023 Dir: André Øvredal. 119 mins
One of the things I think one must realize when viewing a ‘Dracula’ film is that it is based on characters created by Bram Stoker. Dracula and the story itself have become Shakespearean in nature going through various interpretations and portrayals we all know so very well, and we all have our favourites. One of my intense dislikes is what Francis Ford Coppola did a few years back that I will not name. This brings me to the recent The Last Voyage Of The Demeter (2023) which for me falls into the same category of missed opportunity. Not as ridiculous as the Francis Ford Coppola moment when Gary Oldman opens the door and you see, well you know what we all saw.
The picture is based on the idea, and I stress the idea of a moment or two from the Bram Stoker novel. More importantly and this perhaps is missed is that film-wise it is more a small remake of Nosferatu (1922), not Universal, Hammer or other adaptations. The voyage we all know from Transylvania to England resulted in a shipwreck in Whitby harbour. The Director André Øvredal has a lovely pedigree of suspense and terror from his work in brilliantly understated The Autopsy Of Jane Doe (2016) and The Troll Hunter (2010). He knows how to work in a small set like a ship, use camera flow and work with actors on the little things. The writers Bragi F. Schut and Zak Olkewicz have fashioned a screenplay filled with moments and characters from Bram Stoker’s few lines.
The production values are superb in this film from the opening shipwreck on the rocks, the terrified policeman who refuses to go back into the ship after what he saw to the flashback where the gypsies are carrying Dracula’s boxes to port. These poor souls are grimy and scared yet they thrust the gold coins in the first mate Wojchek’s (David Dastmalchian) hands and run off before the sun sets. These boxes don’t have the direct nameplate of Dracula as in the Hammer films but a Dragon references Vlad Tepes Order of the Dragon affiliation.
Captain Eliot (Liam Cunningham) gives the role its proper dignity and authority. The actor even looks like Michael Ripper in beard and attire. He speaks in mannered clear tones and directs his crew with thought and skill. He is a family man with his sister’s son Toby (Woody Norman). Toby is a precocious lad who oversees the ship’s livestock and Dog. The captain is looking for more stronger crew for the voyage to England when he settles on Mr. Clemens (Corey Hawkins) who is wearing the ‘Clothes of an educated man’ wants to make passage to England. He also says he is good with a needle plus a real ship doctor. When refused passage because he does not have strong hands, Clemens makes his way to the dock anyway. When one of the crew backs out because he sees the dragon on the boxes being raised plus endearing himself as a man of action by saving Toby from a near accident, Clemens gets his wish to join.
The voyage gets underway, and we get glimpses of seaboard life all with wonderful detail. The crew of the Demeter are all unique and have moments of screen time like the God-fearing cook Joseph (Jon Jon Briones) and the lustful Abrams (Chris Walley) who helps to reveal in a good-natured way that young Toby knows what a brothel is. Then the killing starts, and the crew disappears, or they are found ripped up as all the livestock are discovered by the crew. It is no secret who is doing the killings as the voyage progresses and things get worse.
Perhaps the film’s most brilliant character addition is a doomed female stowaway Anna (Aisling Franciosi) who is found in the hold almost empty of blood. In an homage, I think to the new medical practice of transfusion as in the Stoker novel and in Dracula (1958) Anne is revived after the procedure only to scream that He is onboard, and they all must get away.
Wonderful setup as in for many people the payoff is the appearance of the monster in this case of course Dracula. You see glimpses of Dracula in shadow recalling more Max Schreck with talons and flesh hence my earlier thoughts of F. W. Murnau picture being the inspiration. This is what the producers and director thought would work and for me, it is the gravest mistake. The wonderful evil destroyer of men through women becomes just another killing machine. Such an opportunity to show red eyes, fog with rats and Dracula in human forms walking upon the water as some Christlike being in direct blasphemy all lost. Instead, you have a creature hunt that does not end well aboard a ship. Granted there are some moments such as when the vampirized crewman Olgaren (Stefan Kapicic) meets the fiery fate of the rising sun while strapped to the mast in front of the crew. A Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968) moment when blood specks start dropping from on high on Toby’s tunic only to reveal one of Dracula’s killings alas not in a ship bell.
Aisling Franciosi as Anna steals the show in her brief camera time. Anna is doomed and brought along for Dracula to ‘feed’. Her fragility, resignation and even a certain will to live all come out as she accepts her fate. Anna is alongside Martita Hunt as Baroness Meinster, a pathetic monster with a fate thrust upon her from The Brides Of Dracula (1960). Truly Franciosi supplies one of the best moments of the film along with the character work of David Dastmalchian as the gruff first mate Wojchek trying to come to terms with the situation. Coming in close is also the work of Woody Norman as Toby, refreshingly not childlike at times with deep responsibility and trust make him intriguing.
The Last Voyage Of The Demeter (2023) works in areas, and not so well in perhaps the main part of the monster. There is a gore factor here not overpowering the murders of many of the crew complete with slurping sounds. The film has pace although it could be cut by fifteen minutes to make it even more brisk. Oddly these undead do not have red eyes plus they do not crystalize. The build-up time and detail may lose many viewers today accustomed to jump scares, the dead rising and zombies that munch. It is not an old-fashioned horror film as some have said, just flawed moments that for whatever reason even contain some small woke sentiment. The key though as always is Dracula and his presence off-screen as well and that is the biggest let-down.
Review by Terry Sherwood
THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER is available to watch in the USA on VUDU, Apple TV, Peacock and for rent/buy on Amazon Prime Video