The Last Voyage Of The Demeter is a Horror movie about the unseen Dracula horror tale. It depicts the event when Dracula undertook a sea voyage and created havoc on the ship.
The story of this Hollywood movie is based on a single chilling chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic Dracula novel. So, in “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” movie, a shipping crew sailing from Varna (Bulgaria) by the Black Sea to London (England) in 1897 find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo. And then their sea voyage becomes the last one.
“This movie is basically Alien (1979) film on a ship in 1897.”
Movie Director André Øvredal
Synopsis [official] of The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) Movie
This movie tells the terrifying story of the merchant ship Demeter, which was chartered to carry private cargo–fifty unmarked wooden crates–from Carpathia to London. Strange events befall the doomed crew as they attempt to survive the ocean voyage, stalked each night by a merciless presence onboard the ship. When the Demeter finally arrives off the shores of England, it is a charred, derelict wreck. There is no trace of the crew.
Spoiler Free Review of The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) Movie
The introduction
After reading its synopsis, you will be able to guess its predictable storyline. The most of time we know the basic tale of a horror flick. However, the chill thrill of watching a good horror movie on the movie screen is an experience in itself. So, we were deeply invested in Dracula tales set in the ship. The claustrophobic place, where Dracula is hunting everyone. And his victims do not have a safe place to hide and run away. It is shocking and horrifying.
Bonus info.: In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Demeter is the Olympian goddess of the harvest and agriculture, presiding over crops, grains, food, and the fertility of the earth. Although she is mostly known as a grain goddess, she also appeared as a goddess of health, birth, and marriage, and had connections to the Underworld.
Knock knock – touch wood!!
We liked the direction, background music, cinematography, etc.
Norwegian horror virtuoso André Øvredal has directed this horror film and he has done a good job in it. Of course, its script is based on the chapter “The Captain’s Log” of Bram Stoker’s Dracula – a classic novel and the 1922 film named below. Both the writers – Bragi F. Schut and Zak Olkewicz have written a smart and gripping script.
Dracula's look is based on Count Orlok from the unauthorized adaptation Nosferatu (1922) film. We have shared the details in the spoilers below.
We liked the “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” song by Smashing Pumpkins. Its lyrics expressed an antagonist trapped in a confined situation and making life miserable for anyone around him. Besides, we liked the ugly-looking Dracula in it. No wonder, the Makeup designer Göran Lundström used to take almost four hours to completely apply the prosthetic makeup to transform actor Javier Botet into the scary-looking Dracula character.
But, we did find some of the goof-ups in this film. Still, despite those mistakes (we are not telling you their details), this movie is a compelling horror film to watch this year.
We liked its ensemble cast members
The veteran Liam Cunningham (Eliot) is the ship’s captain and the young kid Woody Norman (Toby) plays his grandson. The other member of the shipping crew is David Dastmalchian (Wojcheck) – the ship’s first mate, Jon Jon Briones (Joseph) – the ship’s cook, Stefan Kapicic (Olgaren), Nikolai Nikolaeff (Petrofsky), Chris Walley (Abrams), and Martin Furulund (Larsen). We liked Toby’s character in the film, however, not his tragic fate.
Clemens: I... do not... fear you! Dracula: You will! (a dialouge from the film)
All of them were experienced seamen, yet they needed an extra hand. So, Corey Hawkins (Clemens) who plays a doctor in the film, also joins the Demeter Ship as a crew. Then there is Aisling Franciosi (Anna), who is an unwitting stowaway. Their fate on the ship was sealed when they picked up the life-threatening cargo from Romania and decided to transport it to England. All of these actors have done a good act in this creepy and spooky horror tale.
The conclusion
One of the major complaints is that there is not enough eerie tension being generated in it. Still, it is one of the good horror flicks to watch this year, with Dracula taking centre stage.
Lastly, the ending of this movie suggests that the option for its sequel is open. So, watch out for that in the future.
Ratings of this 2023 movie – based on a chapter from the Dracula novel
| FM rating | 3.30/5 |
| FM short comments | The story of this horror flick is predictable, as many of us have read the classic Dracula novel. However, despite a few good ups, it is an unseen film about Dracula. We enjoyed the thrills, horrors, mayhems and other spooky elements on the movie screen, especially when we watched it at night. We liked its ensemble cast, especially the ugly and terrifying-looking Dracula. |
Poster of this 2023 movie – based on a chapter from the Dracula novel
Spoilers Alert – 2023 movie based on a chapter from the Dracula novel
Bonus info. about the inspiration for Dracula character in the film
It is worth noting that the original novel, “The Log of the Demeter” is only about five pages long in the classic Dracula novel by Bram Stoker.
The real inspiration behind this Dracula movie
In this movie, its credits read “Based on the chapter ‘The Captain’s Log’ of ‘Dracula’ by Bram Stoker”. However, it seems that the same is not entirely accurate.
Chapter 7 of ‘Dracula’ novel is entitled ‘Cutting from ‘The Dailygraph’, 8 August (Pasted in Mina Murray’s Journal)’. And within that Chapter is a section ‘Log of the Demeter’. This section, and parts before and after the section within Chapter 7, is what this film is more precisely based on.
So, its story is based on a single chapter, and brief subplot, in the novel “Dracula” by Bram Stoker. The said chapter narrates the tale of the ship carrying Dracula’s coffins from Transylvania to England. That finally results in the derelict ship running aground in England. Only the captain’s log entries remain to tell the tale of how the crew began disappearing one by one.
Therefore, this film fills in the missing parts of the Dracula storyline.
(Reference: IMDb)
About the sea journey undertaken by Dracula in the film
Journey from Romania to England
In 1897, the land and sea journey from Transylvania to England would have been arduous indeed. Transylvania presumably Bran is the home of the famous castle associated with Dracula. Also, Transylvania is inland from the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta.
So, first, the said cargo would have travelled by road and then by river to the ship. Then down the sea through the Bosphorus Straits, across the Sea of Marmara, and into the Mediterranean. From there, out the Straits of Gibraltar and up towards England. Under sail, the journey would have lasted many weeks, with calls made at other cargo ports along the way.
(Reference: IMDb)
Inspirations behind the Dracula character in the film
Inspired by the Nosferatu (2022) film
The Nosferatu (1922) film was a key inspiration for the creature design of Dracula. Also, the Alien (1979) film has been cited as a major influence.
The commentary reveals nods to several other classic films. When the shipping crew explores the hold, objects ominously illuminated by a lantern are a little homage to the Amityville Horror (1979) film. An American Werewolf in London (1981) film was used as a reference when Dracula kills Petrofsky.
Besides, Dracula’s wings were influenced by Francis Ford Coppola’s take on Dracula. And the scene in which he envelops Anna in his wings was inspired by The Beastmaster (1982) film.
(Reference: IMDb)
About the Dracula character in the film
In the original novel, Dracula is a shapeshifter. He can also take the form of a wolf, in addition to the more well-known bat.
The intimidating look of Dracula in the film
His wolf form appears in the film’s alternate opening. It is included on the disc after the captain’s corpse is revealed tied to the ship’s helm. Also, the wolf would have later returned when he claimed his first human victim in the movie, Petrofsky. But that was replaced with the emaciated version of Dracula once the opening was changed.
(Reference: IMDb)
Key Details – 2023 movie – based on a chapter from the Dracula novel
| Genre | Horror |
| Original language | English (different accents) |
| Age-restrictions | R (18+) |
| Duration | 1 hour 58 minutes |
| Released | August, 2023 |
| Writers | Bram Stoker, Zak Olkewicz & Bragi F. Schut |
| Director | André Øvredal |
| Cast | Corey Hawkins (Clemens), Aisling Franciosi (Anna), Liam Cunningham (Captain Eliot), Woody Norman (Kid Toby), David Dastmalchian (Wojchek), Stefan Kapicic (Olgaren), Nikolai Nikolaeff (Petrofsky), Jon Jon Briones (Cook), Javier Botet (Dracula), etc. |
| Taglines | The Legend of Dracula is Born. |
| Distributor | Universal Pictures |
Trailer for this 2023 movie – based on a chapter from the Dracula novel
Featured Image & Poster of The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) Movie | Pics. Credit:- Universal.
