Thursday, August 10, 2023
The Last Voyage of the Demeter
In 1897, the Demeter sets sail for London on a 4-week journey, but like the Titanic, disaster strikes before the destination is reached. Unknown to the captain & crew, they have a deadly cargo on board. Suspicions arise when a female stowaway in need of blood transfusions is discovered in the cargo hull unconscious. Fortunately, on board is a newly hired educated man (the voice of reason & logic) with medical skills & equipment. During the many dark & stormy nights, the livestock are slaughtered by someone or something & then crew members are killed or go missing on their solo night watches. The girl tells a tale of a demon called Dracula, but no one believes her. There is a young boy (representing curiosity & innocence) who becomes terrorized. The film slowly builds on suspense & uses attention to details with splashes of gore. Great characters diametrically playing off each other carries us through the 28 days & nights of terror & panic at sea. Who, if any, will survive? By the film’s end, audiences will get a hint as what may become a sequel to follow. This horror tale, straight from the captain’s log was a lot better than I️ expected.
Alien gives it 3 “spontaneous combustion” stars out of 4.
