Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Lots of gore, death in effective Dracula-inspired chiller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Last Voyage of the Demeter
What's the Story?
In THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE DEMETER, it's 1897, and the sailing ship Demeter has stopped in Romania to take on cargo. Captain Elliot (Liam Cunningham) orders three new crewmen to be hired. First mate Wojchek (David Dastmalchian) chooses the men, rejecting Clemens (Corey Hawkins), a Black doctor with a Cambridge education. But when the new crew members lay eyes on the ship's cargo -- a crate adorned with a mysterious symbol -- they storm off. So, after also saving the captain's 9-year-old grandson, Toby (Woody Norman), Clemens ultimately gets the job. The voyage starts well, and the sailors are excited about getting a bonus if they can get the cargo to London in time. But Clemens hears strange noises in the cargo hold and discovers a young woman, Anna (Aisling Franciosi), who's near death. He saves her life, but it's not long before a more sinister presence begins to make itself known.
Is It Any Good?
After many, many Dracula/vampire movies, a good, simple idea like this one works surprisingly well, thanks to the fixed, moody setting, intricate sound design, and an eerie, malevolent monster. For The Last Voyage of the Demeter, writer Bragi Schut Jr. zeroed in on Chapter 7 of Bram Stoker's original Dracula novel, which told the story of the ill-fated ship bound from Transylvania to London. Schut Jr. turns it into a crackerjack single-location scarefest, with plenty of dark nooks and crannies in which to hide, but nowhere to run. (It's like a Friday the 13th summer camp or the spaceship in Alien.)
Norwegian filmmaker André Øvredal makes the most of this setting, with pounding storms, eerie fog, shadowy corridors, and a knocking noise echoing through the ship's giant wooden beams. He's also smart enough to not show too much of the vampire, so that it's more of a threat (and so that cheesy CG effects don't break the spell). Øvredal keeps up a thrilling pace, with moments of quiet downtime and character interaction in between attacks, which makes things more gripping and more emotional. The biggest flaw in The Last Voyage of the Demeter (aside from the unsettling treatment of children and animals) is that we already know the outcome: that the ship will arrive in London with not a soul on board. The conventional ending is also a bit of a letdown, but before that, it's solid, toothsome entertainment.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about The Last Voyage of the Demeter's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?
Do you agree with Clemens that humans want to understand the nature of the world, or do you agree with the captain, that the world is better experienced and accepted? Why?
Did you notice positive diverse representations in the movie? What about stereotypes?
What is the lasting appeal of vampire stories? Why do we never seem to tire of these monsters?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 17, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : October 17, 2023
- Cast : Corey Hawkins , Aisling Franciosi , Liam Cunningham , David Dastmalchian
- Director : Andre Ovredal
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Pictures
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 118 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : bloody violence
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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