Film Review – Dracula – Voyage of the demeter
Dracula – Voyage of the Demeter (MA)
Directed by: André Øvredal
Starring: Corey Hawkins, Aisling Franciosi, David Dastmalchian
Review by: Julian Wright
Instead of another straight-forward adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Troll Hunter director André Øvredal takes the reins on this expansion of one particular chapter that charts the vampire’s voyage from Carpathia to England.
The crew of the Demeter have some unusual cargo to take along with them on the treacherous seas – a giant wooden box with mysterious markings.
When one crew members sees the markings and quits, it leaves an opening for Clemens (Corey Hawkins), a doctor by trade who needs a ride, to join the crew.
Not only does Clemens clash with the tight-knit group of rough-edged seamen, he finds himself trapped in a deadly situation – someone or something is slaughtering the food supply, and eventually the crew members, at night.
With nowhere to go, the remaining crew members must face the predator with a strong thirst for blood – Dracula.
Voyage of the Demeter is a hit and miss experience, but what is does successfully is make Dracula scary again.
It keeps him in the shadows, only slowly revealing the physicality of the character in glimpses for the longest time a la Alien.
Øvredal aims for suspense and drawn out tension ahead of cheap shocks and thrills, and he does achieve a mostly spine tingling chiller, utilising every creepy corner of the eerie location.
The characters leave a bit to be desired, though the cast do their best to inject some appeal when the story becomes drawn out and repetitive.
After vampires were romanticised in the Twilight series and Dracula lampooned in this year’s Renfield, it is refreshing to see the most famous blood sucker strike terror into audiences again.
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