Horror films tend to fall into two main categories: cheesy and over the top or lower key and brooding. The Last Voyage Of The Demeter is of the latter variety. Creepy, yes, with peril lurking but revealing itself gradually. The film takes itself seriously—no winking at the audience.

The title is a bit of a spoiler. The onscreen text at the film’s opening is more of a spoiler. But, even if you know the ultimate outcome—as with Titanic or Apollo 13—the journey and its challenges and surprises provide the cruxes of the tale. 

The story, adapted from a chapter of Bram Stoker’s book Dracula, has hints of trouble from the loading of cargo onto the Demeter at an Aegean port. A wooden box with a curious logo falls and is about to hit young Toby (Woody Norman) when Clemens (Cory Hawkins) saves the kid from certain death. When another would-be crew member bails, Captain Eliot (Liam Cunningham) adds Clemens to the ship’s crew.

As the Demeter prepares to embark on its voyage to London, Toby (and dog Huckleberry) gives Clemons a tour of the lower section including the livestock pens and the cargo hold. The ship looks great in the film, above and below deck. There’s cautious camaraderie among the sailors. First mate Wojchek (David Dastmalchian) is a bit severe. Cook Joseph (Jon Jon Briones) is quite religious. 

Liam Cunningham who was Davos Seaworth in Game Of Thrones, seems to channel Sean Connery a bit in his portrayal of Captain Eliot. (Although Connery was Scottish and Cunningham is Irish.)

In short order, bad things start to happen. Among them, the discovery of a stowaway (Aisling Franciosi). A woman on board is considered bad luck by the crew. Clemons, a med school graduate, helps nurse her out of unconsciousness. She provides clues as to the source evil presence aboard the ship. The livestock is attacked and killed.

Director André Øvredal reveals small glimpses of Dracula which become more complete leading up the film’s climax. Each of the crew members has a confrontation with Drac. The outcomes are not good, some worse than others. 

Without tipping too much in this review, the final scene of the film is, to a certain extent, satisfying. 

The script by Bragi F. Schut and Zak Olkewicz was in so-called “development Hell” for nearly twenty years, per Wikipedia. A round of applause for those Hollywood folks who actually got this movie made!

Interesting credit on the film’s end scroll… for “Covid Marshalls.” The film was shot in 2021, shortly after we all got our first two vaccine shots. You did get your shots, right?