Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

Good morning, House of Madness stowaways:

A little while back, I previewed "Last Voyage of the Demeter" here, so if you'd like to get my initial thoughts on the film, please click the link to your heart's content.

We owe so much to one Mr. Bram Stoker that it's actually ridiculous. Not only has one novel spawned several films, books, TV series, and characters, but it has forever written its own chapter in horror society, as every corner you turn, part of its essence lurks within. I remember reading the chapter "The Captain's Log" and being completely paralyzed by its fearful premise, but I never would have thought that one chapter would lead to its own stand alone film. I'm glad I was wrong.

A Russian schooner named "The Demeter" has been chartered by an unknown source to transport 24 wooden crates from Carpathia to London - an almost two week voyage which will pay extra if they get it there early. Nothing is known of the cargo's contents, but no matter, their job is simply to get it from point A to point B, and what they're transporting is of no concern or business of theirs.......well, until the cargo makes it their business, that is.

One night the crew stumbles across a female stowaway, and she's in dire need of medical aid as she's critically ill. Upon hearing this, many of the crew are upset and demand she be thrown overboard, as she could be contagious, not to mention that women on a ship are a bad omen, according to old folklore. Soon after her presence is known, the boat's livestock along with their trusty dog Huckleberry are torn to shreds while they sleep, and the finger pointing begins as they start to turn on one another.

Turns out it's not just the livestock someone is after, as night after night a new crew member either goes missing, or is torn to shreds. As the crew deduces they have an intruder on board, a search of the ship is ordered, and they're nowhere near ready for the horrors they're about to find, and are forced to come up with a final stand which will have to work if the crew are to escape with their lives.

"Last Voyage of the Demeter" is a clever little film that delivered a whole lot from a whole lot less. The film's reliance on tension and atmosphere is a welcome mechanic and although it definitely has its share of jump scares, the film doesn't rely on them exclusively in order to deliver the frights. With a run-time right around two hours, I did feel there was quite a lot of filler and the film suffered only minor wounds from this, but still, I think a run-time closer to ninety minutes would have benefited everyone. With the countless (or should I say Count-full) adaptations and renderings of Mr. Stoker's masterpiece, "Last Voyage of the Demeter" is an absolute delight, and is one giant step closer in our efforts to MDGA (Make Dracula Great Again).

Madness Meter: 7.1/10

NB