In these uncertain times, no ending can be considered final. Stories thought to be over get sequels thirty years later, and even the most contained narrative will be seen as a franchise opportunity.The Last Voyage of the Demetertells a claustrophobic tale of horror on the high seas. Some critics saw its ending as a backdoor tease for a potential cinematic universe. Do those accusations have merit?
The Last Voyage of the Demeteris an adaptationof a single chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novelDracula. The book’s narrative is told through letters and scraps of in-universe literature. The seventh chapter is a clever horror short story buried in the battle against the vampire. The Captain’s Log has little impact on the rest of the novel, but it’s a perfect standalone experience.
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What isThe Last Voyage Of The Demeterabout?
On a stormy night off the coast of England,the brutal waves draga disheveled schooner to the shore. When officials come to investigate the vessel, they find a mess of corpses and viscera. There are no survivors. The first man to step aboard is traumatized but leaves holding the captain’s log. The film’s story is told through its text. Captain Elliot of the Demeter arrives in Romania, where he needs to hire strong sailors for a treacherous quest. He and his men are offered an exorbitant sum to ferry fifty unmarked crates from Romania to London, with a bonus to be paid for beating the clock. Elliot and his first mate Wojchek meet Clemens, a doctor they initially underestimate. The strange men whounload the Demeter’s chargesscare off one of Wojchek’s other hires, and Clemens saves the captain’s grandson Toby from a falling crate, so Clemens is invited aboard.
Clemens joins the crew of the Demeter as they shove off. The voyage seems uneventful initially, but strange occurrences swiftly terrify the men. Clemens discovers a woman in the cargo deck. She seems to be ill, but Clemens' routine blood transfusions gradually bring her back to life. The other crew members see the stowaway, Anna, as a bad omen. The ship’s livestock and Toby’s beloved hound turn up dead. Each animal sports a tremendous bite wound on its neck. The next night, a crew member disappears. Another sailor dies the following evening. The realization hits the crew at different times and in different ways. Clemens remains skeptical. When Anna finally wakes up, she explains that anightmarish monster called Draculais aboard the Demeter.
As the crew realizes they’re being picked off, they choose different strategies. Most are unwilling to risk the bonus to return to port. Clemens remains unsure of the evil aboard. Anna tries to warn her new friends. She’s covered in similar bite marks.She explains that Draculahas kept her home village under his heel for generations. Olgaren, a member of the crew, identifies the threat immediately. Dracula has already killed several of his friends. When he tries to evade the vampire, he is left alive and tied up in the ship’s rigging. After Olgaren awakens from his injuries, his eyes roll back into his skull, and he becomes a mindless zombie. The sailors drag him outside and tie him to the mast. When the sun rises, he burns to death. Most of the Demeter’s crew is dead. The survivors can no longer ignore the threat.
How doesThe Last Voyage Of The Demeterend?
After Olgaren is dragged away,Dracula attacks young Toby. The crew tries to save him, but they’re too late. Elliot collapses after Toby’s injury, blindly convincing himself that his grandson must survive. Wojchek and Clemens decide that the boy must be put out of his misery. As they prepare to push him into the sea, Elliot swears he notices Toby move. The captain moves the shroud, exposing Toby’s body to sunlight. He bursts into flames, burning Elliot’s face as he drops into the sea. The loss is devastating, leaving only Elliot, Wojchek, Clemens, and Anna alive. The ship’s chef, Joseph, escapes in a lifeboat, only to be killed by Dracula. As the boat returns unoccupied, the remaining crew members formulate a plan.
Clemens proposes drawing Dracula into the open before sinking the vessel and escaping in the lifeboat. Wojchek and Elliot are infuriated, arguing that the Demeter is their home. The captain and first mate volunteer to go down with the ship. The Demeter is a day away from England. Anna realizes that the vampire has been rationing the crew members, and with only one night left, they’re all on the menu.Dracula emerges, and a fightbreaks out. Wojchek dies as Dracula reveals his massive wings. Elliot ties himself to the wheel, fixing their course with his body. Clemens is dragged up the mast by Dracula. Anna sends half of the towering structure into Dracula’s body, pinning him to the Demeter. The cargo hold is filling with water as they leap into the ocean.
Anna and Clemens escape Dracula, but the Demeter still reaches London. Concerned lighthouse keepers guide the vessel in.Dracula leaves the shipand disappears into the city. Anna and Clemens float on wreckage toward the shore. Anna reveals that she’s infected and chooses to die on her terms. Clemens reaches London with a new purpose. He uses the documents in the cargo to find Dracula and swears to devote his life to finding the monster in disguise.
If there is to be a sequel toThe Last Voyage of the Demeter, it will follow Clemens as he pursues Dracula. This aspect of the story isn’t in the book. It would be entirely new material. It isn’t out of the question, but adding to the miserable conclusion of the chapter changes the tone.The Last Voyage of the Demeteris exactly the contained horror story fans expected, but the last five minutes are a surprise.
