Rent The Last Voyage of the Demeter on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Bram Stoker (log of the Demeter "Dracula"), Bragi F. Schut and Zak Olkewicz (screenplay), Bragi F. Schut (screen story)
Directed by: André Øvredal
Starring: Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
A crew sailing from Varna, Bulgaria by the Black Sea to England find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo.
Verdict
It's a solid movie with a unique setting that lends to the suspense. While it's difficult to bring anything new to the vampire genre, this uses the character as a plot device to build fear. We get a crew trapped on a boat with Dracula. When will they figure it out, and how will they survive? There's nowhere to run and hide. It's a great premise that tries to extend it too far. We see several crew members picked off in similar ways as we're just waiting for someone to figure out what's going on and get to the final act.
It depends.
Review
I love the premise expands on a chapter from the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker. A boat in Bulgaria headed to England is looking for crew to load cargo and man the ship. The locals refuse to load the cargo when they see a dragon logo on the box, leaving on the spot. The locals know what that mean, but unfortunately the ship's captain doesn't.
Clemens (Corey Hawkins) wants to be hired as part of the crew to get back to London but is refused despite his knowledge of medicine and astronomy. The first mate just doesn't think he's hearty enough. A chance encounter earns Clemens the recognition of Captain Eliot (Liam Cunningham) and a spot on board this ill fated voyage. We know exactly what they're going to experience.
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| Liam Cunningham, Corey Hawkins play Captain Eliot, Clemens |
It's unsettling as Dracula is loose and wreaking havoc. Despite the animals dying by what appears to be bites on the neck and finding a woman stowaway, no one could imagine such a thing as Dracula. The crew attributes it to bad luck, while Clemens states he's a man of science and seeks an explanation.
The crew was willing to keep pressing as they get a bonus for a speedy delivery, but without livestock that means they have no food and this voyage is becoming difficult quickly. Superstition is starting to become convincing.
I love the idea. It's a bit of Alien or The Thing; trapped and isolated. This lacks some of the development and nuance. What we learn of the characters is superficial, and most of the crew are just cannon fodder. Unfortunately several murders are nearly repeats. This movie should have taken more time to slow down and really drive up the tension. This would have been more effective if it was about the anticipation instead of the action. The repetition makes the movie too long. This would be better served to cut twenty minutes and get to the last act sooner. We know the remaining characters will have to formulate some kind of plan, and this treads water until that point. What are they going to do to stop Dracula?
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