There have been many film adaptations of Bram Stoker’s classic novel “Dracula.” Adaptations of a single chapter, though? That’s a new one.
“The Last Voyage of the Demeter” is based on the chapter “The Captain’s Log” from Stoker’s 1897 book. In the film, the Demeter is a ship leaving Bulgaria helmed by Captain Elliot (Liam Cunningham). While the movie is narrated at points by Elliot who gives his thoughts on the development in his log, the film is centered on the character Clemens (Corey Hawkins).
A doctor looking to return to England, Clemens joins the crew of the Demeter which is sailing to Britain on a seemingly routine voyage. Along with the crew, the Demeter is carrying plenty of cargo, including a mysterious crate. As one would expect, the box contains the legendary vampire himself.
The Demeter’s titular final voyage is, unfortunately, underwhelming. It’s a shame, too, because it’s a movie that has things going for it. The look of the movie is good, with an authentic set that captures the aesthetic of a rickety old boat. The cast is also solid, with a good group of character actors that are right at home in this genre.
Yet the whole film comes out rather bland and uninspired. The movie’s plot basically boils down to a slasher-esque track of characters dying one-by-one until the grand finale. That by itself wouldn’t necessarily be a problem, but the characters featured are so boring that the time in between each kill feels dull.
Even the kills are rather uninspiring. The film may boast an R-rating, but the deaths give off more PG-13 vibes, usually with a character turning around, seeing Dracula standing there’s, and them meeting their end after. There’s some blood, sure, but little creativity.
That leads to the issue with the Count himself, too. In the film, he’s portrayed as a creature-like monster, and if you’re going to make him that way, there needs to be some bloody carnage. Yet despite having a monstrous-looking vampire, the movie seems to hold back, relying mostly on jump scares with its villain who lacks any personality
Personality is just generally empty across the board here, too. Vampire films are usually known to have some type of attitude, whether it’s “Blade,” “Interview With The Vampire,” or “From Dusk Till Dawn.” This movie, meanwhile, just felt empty.
The only intrigue in the film came from the character Clemens, who enters the film as a major skeptic who gradually comes to except that they’re dealing with something clearly paranormal. It’s really the only area where the film is engaging.
Hawkins does what he can with the role, as does Cunningham in the role of the captain, yet they’re often let down by the material. There’s simply not much for them or the rest of the cast to do but have their characters bicker during the day with lackluster dialogue and wait for the next kill.
“Last Voyage” has a few performers trying to make things work and looks fine for the most part. However, it doesn’t offer much else to viewers to hook them in. Despite featuring an undead monster, this was a movie that needed a lot more liveliness. 2 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 
One thought on “REVIEW: Vampire flick ‘Last Voyage of the Demeter’ disappoints”