December Movie Pick: 'The Last Voyage of the Demeter'

I really enjoyed this movie. It had a captivating atmosphere, exactly what I needed to see yesterday. So, we played the movie, dimmed the lights, and it turned out to be a well-done story. Despite two instances where the voyage dragged a bit, it was still a hell of a journey. Everyone involved did a good job. David Dastmalchian, whom I've seen in some silly roles before, totally did a 180 on me this year. Now, I see him as an interesting actor after 'Bogeyman,' and his role here - a star is born. Aisling Franciosi had very little to do, which is too bad because every time she was on screen, I was captivated by her. I know her from 'The Nightingale' (2018), where she carried the movie like a pro and made it re-watchable – no easy task if you've seen it. Liam Cunningham, whom I mainly know as the second in command in 'Game of Thrones,' made a positive impression. He was well-cast here as the captain of 'the Demeter.' Also, Clemens, played by Corey Hawkins, did a cool job, as well as the other crew members. André Øvredal, the director of the movie, is obviously getting better and better at his craft. At this point, I've seen almost every movie he has directed, and I can say this is his best work so far, and he is carving his name in the horror space.

The movie is an adapted version of one of the chapters from Bram Stoker's novel 'Dracula' - 'The Captain's Log.' A book written in 1897 waiting to be read in my digital library. Now, after seeing this chapter, I intend to do it very soon. 'The Demeter' is a perfect metaphor for life, illustrating that no one gets a pass from Death, played in this case by Dracula. Some exit willingly, others kicking and scratching, but the ultimate destination of this voyage is the same. 

If you know the story, you can feel that attention is paid to a lot of details that make this movie an interesting watch. Except, of course, the fake port in Varna city at the beginning of the movie. The surroundings of the city, too, were imagined as a person who visited Varna many times before would say. But still, visually, the movie delivers. The whole movie is shaking just like a trip with a boat, and, for example, the table in the kitchen is carved to hold utensils during the rolling of the waves. These small details are part of this movie magic. I really felt like I am on that ship. The dragon sigil placed over the boxes with dirt that Dracula needs to survive was also a nice touch.

The other thing that took a lot of work, I assume because of the way it looked, was Dracula himself. He was fantastic. I love the creature that was presented here – very scary and effective. It took a lot of time for the passengers to realize something. He was very fast and deadly; the way he moved was incredible. I love everything about it, and even though it is often shown, which, with poor execution, could demolish the scare, here, every time he is on screen, he demands to be seen and observed. His movements were intense and unpredictable. The special effects are what you would expect from a movie like this – very good. A huge part of why that movie works is that everything fit together as a whole picture. 

Like I said, the movie drags a couple of times; nevertheless, because of the work of the director André Øvredal, the actors, and everyone involved, I would definitely watch it again at some point.

Iliya Badev