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The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

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August 18th, 2023

Weekend predictions: Demeter won’t challenge the reigning champs

August 11th, 2023

The Last Voyage of the Demeter trailer

August 10th, 2023

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The Real Reason The Last Voyage Of The Demeter Bombed At The Box Office

Universal's "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" bombed at the box office after it opened on August 11. In total, the film netted $6.5 million on its first weekend in theaters, making back just a fraction of its $45 million budget.

Perhaps the most immediate culprit behind its lackluster financial performance is its lukewarm reception from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes , the film holds an aggregate 51% from professional reviewers and a still unimpressive 74% from audiences at large. In his review for Variety , for example, Owen Gleiberman wrote, "'The Last Voyage of the Demeter' is too explicit, too dawdling yet rapid-fire, too much like other horror films."

Critics weren't wholly unkind, however — RogerEbert.com reviewer Peter Sobczynski is among its proponents, awarding it three-and-a-half stars out of a possible four. "It is a smart, well-made, and sometimes downright creepy take on the tale that both horror buffs and regular moviegoers can appreciate in equal measure," he wrote. Furthermore, bad reviews alone aren't typically enough to keep viewers away from an otherwise interesting release, suggesting that at least a couple other key factors beyond just its critical reception played a part in the film's subpar box office haul.

Universal's release strategy for The Last Voyage of the Demeter fell short

Before taking into account how reviewers received "The Last Voyage of the Demeter," a multitude of factors regarding its promotion and release made its success an uphill battle prior, even, to its theatrical premiere.

Chief among what might be considered marketing failures is the fact that the film's title doesn't accurately reflect its biggest selling point. "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" is technically a classic Dracula movie, adapting a chapter from Bram Stoker's genre-defining vampire novel. Its title, however, simply evokes a journey at sea, leaving casual viewers who are unaware of its literary inspiration none the wiser that it's actually a Dracula story.

Universal likewise decided to release a horror movie in August, a couple months before spooky movie season officially kicks off near the start of October. Not only is this timing unideal, but it falls squarely in the midst of "Barbenheimer" mania, during which theater-goers are still more likely to see either of those two box office giants than an ill-timed horror movie that bewilderingly buries the fact that it's about fiction's most iconic vampire.

The Last Voyage of the Demeter was the least interesting horror film in cinemas

While it's difficult to deny the competition "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" faced from both "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer," it should be noted that the Universal Pictures flick wasn't the only horror film competing for the attention of audience members at the multiplex. During the Dracula film's opening weekend, audiences had multiple options to choose from. During its debut weekend, "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" faced competition from both Disney's "Haunted Mansion" and A24's "Talk to Me." They made $5.7 million and $5.1 million, respectively, almost in line with the Dracula film's $6.5 million debut.

When it came to that weekend's horror offerings, the trio definitely cannibalized one another. While "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" technically took the higher spot of the three, it's impractical to deny how the crowded horror landscape robbed the Dracula film of a potential $10 million debut. "Haunted Mansion" appeals to both families and teenagers, thanks in part to its PG-13 rating. Seeing as "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" boasts an R-rating, a portion of prospective viewers likely went with Disney's haunted offering. The R-rated "Talk to Me," meanwhile, continues to boast stellar legs thanks to positive word of mouth and reviews. 

"The Last Voyage of the Demeter" was the new film in cinemas but it was arguably the least interesting, at least from the audience's perspective. Paying cinema goers gave the Dracula film a B- CinemaScore , signaling mixed to negative word of mouth. "Haunted Mansion" and "Talk to Me," meanwhile, boast B+ CinemaScores. Perhaps "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" would have shined earlier in the summer, when horror films were more scarce. 

Dracula should have been front and center

"The Last Voyage of the Demeter" is certainly an inspiring name, but it doesn't exactly illicit confidence from casual viewers. Contemporary viewers are compelled to head to cinemas if they can expect something they already know. Modern films have no choice but to survive on recognizability, which is why the last decade has been riddled with IP-driven films. All 10 of 2023's highest-grossing films have some sort of baked in recognizability. Whether they're based on IP or biopics on well-known figures, they've all succeeded in part thanks to rampant fan bases. 

With a mysterious title, it's difficult for many to know what the film is about unless they've read "Dracula." Those who managed to sit through the film's trailer managed to discover that "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" was a project cashing in on Dracula, arguably the most famous vampire of all time. Why wasn't this expressed from the start? It's likely that the Universal Pictures project could have succeeded if Dracula was mentioned in the film's title. While less mysterious, it's a creative move that would have likely piqued the interest of hesitant viewers. 

Several international markets feature distinctive, unique names for the film while still emphasizing the name-recognition that Dracula has. For example, in Australia, the film is titled "Dracula: Voyage of the Demeter," a far more inviting name that paints a clearer picture as to what audiences can expect. Of course, it's difficult to know if "Demeter" would have succeed based solely on a more clear-cut title. It will be interesting to see how Universal Pictures markets the film when it comes to VOD.  Several films have changed names following their release — perhaps "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" will join them? 

International audiences couldn't see the Demeter's maiden voyage

Even if international audiences were interested in seeing "The Last Voyage of the Demeter," key markets weren't given the opportunity to do so. The film's released in the United Kingdom has been delayed indefinitely thanks to eOne shutting down operations in the country. With eOne now sold to Lionsgate, "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" has lost a distributor in the United Kingdom. Only time will tell if the Universal project will receive a theatrical release in the United Kingdom. Seeing as the "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" features an Irish cast and with a majority of the story dependent on UK locations, it must be difficult for Universal Pictures to bid farewell to such a key territory. 

Other international markets haven't received the film as of yet. /Film says that the Universal pic is slated to debut in Spain and India, though no official release dates have been given. With the film bombing stateside, it remains to be seen if Universal Pictures will move forward with international releases or cut their losses. Internationally, the film has floundered. The Numbers says that the film's foreign total is less than half a million, with Australia leading, reporting a cume of $179,000. While "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" seems to be sinking in cinemas, it's possible that the horror outing will find a passionate audience when it hits PVOD. 

Is fantasy horror a genre of the past?

Could it be that audiences simply aren't interested in Dracula or other fantasy horror projects? Take a look at 2023's highest-grossing horror films and it's clear that audiences have a genuine thirst for slashers and supernatural thrillers. The $100 million-dollar grossing "Scream VI" and Universal's very own "M3GAN" both standout as films that are mostly grounded in reality, tapping into contemporary themes and topics. "Insidious: The Red Door," which boasts a gross shy of $200 million, is another entry in the ever-popular supernatural horror series. The same can be said for last year's films, with "The Black Phone" and "Smile" taking top spots. 

In the last few years, audience tastes have shifted and it's likely that "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" simply wasn't the horror film that audiences wanted. While they dominated in the 2000s and early 2010s thanks to "Twilight," vampires are no longer as popular as they once used to be. It's admirable how Universal Pictures is interested in bringing back its classic monsters, but they should consider giving them a contemporary flair which makes them more relevant to modern audiences. Consider 2020's "The Invisible Man," which expertly updates the iconic H. G. Wells character for the modern day. The film grossed over $139 million worldwide back in 2020, having its theatrical run cut short thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

With "The Last Voyage of the Demeter," audiences simply weren't interested. Deadline says that Universal Pictures tried its best to support the film, though their efforts didn't pay off. The studio marketed the film endlessly but promotion wasn't enough to compel the average horror fan to head to their local multiplex. Perhaps it's time for Universal Pictures to say goodbye to Dracula, at least for now. 

Audiences aren't interested in new twists on classic tales

A few months before "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" premiered in theaters, Universal's previous vampire movie  "Renfield" also bombed . This was a sort of canary in the coal mine, foretelling its successor's lack of box office success. "Renfield" stars Nicholas Hoult as R. M. Renfield, a character straight out of Bram Stoker's "Dracula" novel. Similarities to its literary souce material pretty much start and stop there, however, given that "Renfield" is a quirky comedy set in the present day. Audiences were ultimately uninterested in this twist on the classic Dracula formula, leaving its total box office haul short of even half its budget.

That "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" is on track to fare worse is hardly surprising, then, given how "Renfield" demonstrated that its overarching formula isn't something most theater-goers want to see. And whereas "Renfield" stars big names like Hoult, Awkwafina, and Nicholas Cage, "Demeter" is absent a marquee star to make up for its core concept failing to draw viewers.

This phenomenon, in fact, extends past just vampire movies. Both Guy Ritchie's "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" and the 2018 "Robin Hood" film — while not quite on the same level — failed to make back their budgets as well, further indicating that audiences don't care about contemporary spins on classic material as much as studios seem to think.

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The Last Voyage of the Demeter

A crew sailing from Varna (Bulgaria) by the Black Sea to England find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo. A crew sailing from Varna (Bulgaria) by the Black Sea to England find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo. A crew sailing from Varna (Bulgaria) by the Black Sea to England find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo.

• André Øvredal
• Bram Stoker
• Bragi F. Schut
• Zak Olkewicz
• Corey Hawkins
• Aisling Franciosi
• Liam Cunningham
• 471 User reviews
• 209 Critic reviews
• 52 Metascore
• 2 wins & 10 nominations

Top cast 23

• Captain Eliot

• Deputy Fisher

• Deputy Hirsch

• Fletcher - Whitby
• Harbour Master
• Old Romani Wiseman
• One-Eyed Sailor
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• Trivia Dracula's look is based on Count Orlok from the unauthorized adaptation Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922) . This was also the model for the look of the vampire Barlow in the original Salem's Lot (1979) .
• Goofs (~1h 35m) Wojchek locks himself inside the cargo hold by inserting a wooden board through the handles, but they're sliding doors, so they would still open.

Clemens : I... do not... fear you!

Dracula : You will!

• Connections Featured in YellowFlash 2: FlashCast: Hollywood actors going BROKE from strike! Lizzo DUMPED on a beach! Disney BROKEN? (2023)
• Soundtracks Hangin' Johnny Traditional Arranged by Thomas Newman Performed on Hardanger fiddle by Kathleen Keane

User reviews 471

• kevin_robbins
• Aug 12, 2023
• How long is The Last Voyage of the Demeter? Powered by Alexa
• August 11, 2023 (United States)
• United States
• United Kingdom
• Official Facebook
• Drácula: Mar De Sangre
• Dreamworks Pictures
• Reliance Entertainment
• Storyworks Productions
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $45,000,000 (estimated)
• $13,637,180
• Aug 13, 2023
• $21,786,275

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• Runtime 1 hour 58 minutes
• Dolby Atmos

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The Last Voyage of the Demeter

A crew sailing from Varna (Bulgaria) by the Black Sea to England find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo.

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The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023)

The Last Voyage of the Demeter Review

‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ has atmospheric chills but also some clunky cargo. Director André Øvredal is behind this new take on Dracula, adapting a chapter of Bram Stoker’s novel for horror on the high seas.

In theaters on August 11th, ‘The Last Voyage of the Demeter’ wades into full-on horror territory by taking a chapter of Bram Stoker’s ‘Dracula’ and fleshing (also blooding) out the story into a full-length film that features an entertaining creature but is somewhat let down by a cliché-heavy screenplay.

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The Last Voyage of the Demeter

As those of you with a decent grasp of horror trivia already know, the Demeter was the ship whose ultimately doomed journey to deliver some especially dangerous cargo from Transylvania to London was chronicled in the seventh chapter of the Bram Stoker classic Dracula . Although this section, running 16 pages in my copy, contains some of the most evocative imagery in that sometimes clumsily written book, the whole episode is not that important to the narrative. It simply illustrates how the title character got from point A to B, and on the rare occasions when filmmakers have chosen to bring this story to the screen, the journey is either reduced to a brief montage or newspaper headline or ignored entirely. Now comes “The Last Voyage of the Demeter,” a feature-length expansion of those 16 pages that fully examines the strange occurrences aboard one of the most doomed sea journeys in literary history.

Upon hearing this movie’s premise for the first time, I wasn’t entirely convinced it could work. This would be a film where practically every audience member would not only know exactly what the supernatural force at the center of the story is before the Universal logo hits the screen. But they would also—barring some unexpected deviation from the well-known narrative—know exactly how the on-screen events would play out. To me, it looked like just another attempt by Universal to introduce the character that played such a key role in the studio’s history to contemporary audiences following the misfired likes of “Dracula: Untold” and the recent and dreadful “ Renfield .” That may have been the case, but the results are a big step up from those previous stumbles, an often striking take on the tale that makes up for what it lacks in surprise with a lot of style and some undeniably effective scare moments.

Set in 1897, the film opens as the Demeter is about to set sail from Transylvania to London, carrying Captain Eliot ( Liam Cunningham ), loyal first mate Wojchek ( David Dastmalchian ), his grandson Toby ( Woody Norman ), and a small crew that grows even smaller when some of the locals recruited for the journey get skittish when they see that the cargo contains many large crates being sent by an unknown figure to Carfax Abbey in London. Among those recruited at the last second is Clemens ( Corey Hawkins ), who signs on as the ship’s doctor to get passage home to England. His expertise comes in handy when one of the boxes is accidentally opened, and an apparent stowaway ( Aisling Franciosi ) is discovered with a mysterious malady that requires numerous blood transfusions. 

Soon, strange things begin happening on the ship. All the livestock on board and Toby’s beloved dog are slaughtered throughout one grisly evening. Sailors begin seeing and hearing odd things at night while on watch, and even the ship’s rats appear to have vanished, leading up to the deathless line, “A boat without rats—such a thing is against nature.” The members of the crew soon begin disappearing, driving the already skittish ones who remain further into paranoia that is not helped when the stowaway, whose name proves to be Anna, finally wakes up and informs Clemens and the others that to steal a line from Mel Brooks , yes, they have Nosferatu. As Dracula ( Javier Botet ) continues snacking through the ship, the rapidly dwindling survivors try to figure out how to stop him before they reach London.

The film was directed by André Øvredal , whose previous credits include such intriguing horror-related efforts as “ Trollhunter ,” “ The Autopsy of Jane Doe ,” and the underrated “ Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark .” This time, he is trying to figure out how to tell a story in which everyone in the audience will be ahead of the characters on the screen at virtually every given point. He accomplishes that primarily by focusing heavily on visual style, creating a moody and haunted atmosphere throughout—even during the scenes set in the daytime—that is both eerily beautiful and just plain eerie. “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” is one of the better-looking horror films to come along in a while. The cat-and-mouse games between Dracula and the crew are staged in a manner that suggests a seafaring variation of “ Alien ,” with Øvredal milking scenes for maximum tension before culminating in some nasty business. 

Bear in mind, some of that business is indeed quite nasty—the visualization of Dracula shown here is a particularly grotesque and demonic variation, the scenes of slaughter are definitely gory enough to earn the “R” rating, and not only does the one character you are conditioned to expect to somehow avoid a gruesome demise end up suffering just that, but they also do so more than once. The performances, especially the ones from genre MVP Dastmalchian, Franciosi (so effective in “ The Nightingale ”), and Botet, are all strong and convincing, which helps to raise the emotional stakes to make up for the lack of surprise.

There are two points where the film stumbles a bit. Although the relatively slow and measured pacing employed by Øvredal to generate suspense is mostly effective and preferable to the quick-cut approach others might have taken, a few scenes here run on too long for their own good. Also, the film—Spoiler Alert!—indulges in one of the most irritating elements of contemporary horror cinema, a final scene that exists solely to set up future movies if this one does well at the box office. 

And yet, the rest of the movie works enough so that these flaws don’t hurt things too badly. “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” may not be a classic in the annals of Dracula cinema along the lines of the Terence Fisher’s Hammer production “Horror of Dracula,” Werner Herzog ’s version of “ Nosferatu the Vampyre ,” or Francis Ford Coppola ’s “Bram’s Stoker’s Dracula.” But it is a smart, well-made, and sometimes downright creepy take on the tale that both horror buffs and regular moviegoers can appreciate in equal measure. 

In theaters now.

Peter Sobczynski

A moderately insightful critic, full-on Swiftie and all-around  bon vivant , Peter Sobczynski, in addition to his work at this site, is also a contributor to The Spool and can be heard weekly discussing new Blu-Ray releases on the Movie Madness podcast on the Now Playing network.

• Corey Hawkins as Clemens
• Aisling Franciosi as Anna
• Liam Cunningham as Captain Eliot
• David Dastmalchian as Wojchek
• Chris Walley as Abrams
• Stefan Kapičić as Olgaren
• Martin Furulund as Larsen
• Nikolai Nikolaeff as Petrofsky
• Woody Norman as Toby
• Jon Jon Briones as Cook
• Javier Botet as Dracula / Nosferatu
• André Øvredal
• Bear McCreary

Writer (screen story by)

• Bragi F. Schut
• Zak Olkewicz

Writer (based on the chapter "The Captain's Log" of Dracula by)

• Bram Stoker
• Christian Wagner
• Julian Clarke
• Patrick Larsgaard

Cinematographer

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