The Last Voyage Of The Demeter

Universal Studios have in recent years been looking for ways to reimagine some of our favorite monsters. In 2020 just before the pandemic, Leigh Whannell’s The Invisible Man was a big hit for the studio and offered a fresh take on a familiar story. The Last Voyage of The Demeter is looking to do the same and is the second time this year that the studio has brought back to the big screen one of literature and cinemas most popular characters.

 Written by Bragi F. Schut (Escape Room), Zak Olkewicz (Fear Street Part 2 1978) and based on chapter seven of Bram Stoker’s masterpiece, Dracula. The Last Voyage of the Demeter puts us onboard the doomed Russian Schooner unknowingly transporting some very dangerous and terrifying cargo. 

 Directed by André Øvredal (Troll Hunter and The Autopsy of Jane Doe) and starring Corey Hawkins (Kong Skull Island, The Walking Dead) David Dastmalchian (Dune, The Boogeyman) Aisling Franciosi (Game of Thrones) and Liam Cunningham (Blood The Last Vampire). 

The Last Voyage offers a strong premise but never really hits its stride. The actors do a fine job and the set designs feel authentic. There just seems something a little too obvious about the way the movie plays out.  

 The Last Voyage’s main let down is its monster on board. Played by Javier Botet (Crimson Peak, The Conjuring 2) Dracula doesn’t feel particularly threatening and definitely not mysterious. His design is not very unique either. The film turns into exactly what you would expect it to by the halfway point and starts to slowly stumble towards a predictable ending. Although not terrible the movie was just very average which is a shame considering the talent involved. A much more interesting take on the same chapter of Stokers story can be found in the second episode of the  BBC’s adaptation of Dracula from 2020 entitled Blood Vessel. 

The film has a very typical Hollywood ending which suggests there might be more to this particular version of the Dracula story. Although I personally am always happy to see The Count represented on screen, I can’t say I will be rushing back for more of this particular incarnation.