The Last Voyage of the Demeter: A Movie Review

The sea can be a scary place. It is dark. It is deep. It is full of the unknown. For years it was the only way to traverse the globe. Imagine leaving the land you know, for work, for adventure, or for a new start, and all around you is just expanse. The darkest nights you have ever seen where water meets sky.

The fear of the unknown is a reasonable fear to have. The fear of the dark is also a reasonable fear to have. For sailors these fears had to be pushed down so they could do their jobs. It made them suspicious. And now, in our modern worlds full of easy travel, we laugh at them. It is easy to think them silly in this day and age. What if they weren’t silly though? What if those superstitions were the only things that gave them a chance from what went bump in the night? 

The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a film about just that. One crew against the night and its terrors. All alone on the expanse of the ocean, with no one to help them. 

Released in 2023 this movie was one that horror fans were excited for. It is based on a small section of the novel Dracula. With all of the different movies that have come from Dracula I am surprised that this section never really had its story expanded upon before.  I know that I, personally, was very excited for it to be shown on the big screen. I loved that the start of the movie really captured the feeling of the start of the book.

A tight-knit crew find themselves sailing to England with some unknown and dangerous cargo. In spite of their experience on the sea things begin to go wrong fairly quickly. The crew finds themselves in a horror that goes beyond the tales and superstitions they had before. Will they be able to come together to reach England, or will the terror in the dark get them first?  

The cinematography of this movie is almost like a character itself. We spend a lot of time on the ship so how it is shot is very important. It tells the audience when danger is near. It dictates the mood of the crew. It also adds to frightening scenes. The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a movie that does this very well. 

The soundtrack also does its job of adding to the ambiance of the movie. By using tones that horror fans associate with scary movies, the music lets fans know that terror is fast approaching in suspenseful scenes. The darkness of the music adds to the use of lighting, evoking the feeling of impending doom for viewers of the movie. Costuming adds to each character by letting us know where they are from and their station on the ship. This is important with an ensemble cast and the time constraints of a movie. 

In short The Last Voyage of the Demeter is a well-shot horror film. It is clear that a lot of work went into making the movie, and it pays off. The scares are interesting. The anxiety created by all of the elements working together lend a sense of impending peril to the story. The movie is well-cast and the acting is compelling. 

I highly recommend giving this movie a shot. 

ALWAYS KEEP SPARKLING!!!