The Last Voyage of the Demeter review: I need a sequel

I won’t lie and say I wasn’t skeptical when I entered the movie theater with my friend last night and sat down to watch The Last Voyage of the Demeter. I had seen the previews but never read Dracula, though I have always been a fan of Castlevania, which also has Dracula, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to watch something a little different with the same baddie. Also, Liam Cunningham — our favorite Onion Knight, Ser Davos Seaworth from Game of Thrones — stars as Captain Elliot. I was not about to miss Cunningham in action.

Damn, it was good.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter is an adaptation of “The Captain’s Log,” a chapter from Bram Stoker’s iconic 1897 novel Dracula. Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, and David Dastmalchian set sail on the merchant ship Demeter, captained by Elliot. Demeter is a suspenseful journey across the waves from Transylvania to London, where the crew is entirely unaware of just what kind of evil lurks in the cargo hold. Will the crew survive a voyage with a vampire?

Find out…in the next few paragraphs. SPOILERS INCOMING!

The Last Voyage of the Demeter review

Starting with the cast, I have absolutely no qualms with the actors picked and the roles they played. They all fit perfectly. Liam Cunningham was one of the reasons I wanted to watch the movie to begin with, and he nails his performance. Proud grandfather to little mister Toby (rest in piece, little man), a trusted and seasoned captain, and an overall good man, I was sad to see him go how he went. Cunningham’s performance during Toby’s failed funeral broke my heart in a way I wasn’t expecting for this kind of movie. His love for the boy was palpable and real, and it was very, very sad to watch him crumble and cry.

Speaking of Toby, excellently portrayed by Woody Norman, I was very happy with the way his character was written. In horror movies, children are often very dumb and do predictable things that either get themselves in trouble or killed. Not Toby. Toby had a backbone. He had a purpose, and he had heart. As a mother, I admit I cared about the little guy more than the average viewer, but it is impossible not to like him. He’s a cute kid, he’s got a lot of charisma, and Norman can act. I was very impressed with his range of emotions and ability to really show the fear he felt when he was locked in the Captain’s chambers with Dracula.

I was also slightly shocked that the movie actually shows Toby being killed. Often times, movies won’t actually kill children onscreen because who wants to watch a child die? the way it’s done in The Last Voyage of the Demeter was tasteful, sad and infuriating. My friend and I were not okay during that part, even more so during his attempted funeral. Dead children coming back to life and then burning to death (again…?) is really creepy.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter sets itself up for a sequel

Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, David Dastmalchian, Stefan Kapičić, Nikolai Nikolaeff, and the rest of the cast are also phenomenal. There’s usually a character or two that grinds my gears in horror flicks, doing stupid things that often make the situation worse. Though the situation did get worse on its own, the the actions the characters take are  believable and not (entirely) reckless, except for Captain Elliot leaving little Toby in his cabin alone when they know something is out there hunting and crew.

Perhaps what made it so much more satisfying for me is the way the story perfectly sets up the stage for a sequel. I found myself wanting a sequel. I would love to see Clemens (Corey Hawkins) hunt down Dracula all the way to Carfax Abbey, the estate he bought in London before setting sail.

Speaking of Clemens, he was my favorite character: well-spoken, smart, caring, and with a very human desire to understand how the world works and why it’s so bad when there’s so much good in it. I would love nothing more to see him study and discover everything there is to know about Dracula and attempt to end him. The ending scene was very chilling. After telling Dracula that he is not afraid of him, Clemens kind of swallows his own words as Dracula plays an amazing mind game with him at a pub, showing Clemens that yes, he will make you fear him.

Issues with The Last Voyage of the Demeter

The design of the Demeter itself is drop-dead gorgeous. The ship is designed such that I always knew where the characters were and where they were going as they moved about. The choice to have Dracula more closely resemble an animal than a human was also clever. Dracula is a monster, a beast. He can control you once he’s bitten you, feel where you are, play mind games on you. Seeing the Nosferatu-looking Dracula turn more and more humanoid towards the end as he fed and fed was scary and awesome, especially the way he toyed with Clemens at the end, slamming his cane down in the same rhythm the Demeter’s crew used to communicate. That gave me chills.

Now, just because I really enjoyed the movie doesn’t mean I didn’t have a couple issues. The CGI for Dracula was bad. Like, I was not afraid of him at any given time because he looked more fake than the glue-on nails I’m currently wearing. An additional coat of polish could have helped sell the horror.

Also, those jump scares were SO LOUD and happened so often that I watched most of the movie with my ears covered. If you’re not a fan of jump scares, don’t watch this movie. And if you have auditory sensory issues like myself, bring your earplugs. You’ll thank me later.

Verdict

Overall, I highly enjoyed The Last Voyage of the Demeter. It’s a period horror piece that does the source material justice, entertains, scares, and engages the audience until the very end. Though the CGI could have been better and they could have taken it easy with the jump scares and just how loud they are, I will be watching it again and definitely recommend it if this is your kind of movie.

I give The Last Voyage of the Demeter an honest 9/10, and I am begging for a sequel. Please.

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