Movie Review - The last Voyage of the Demeter

Director: André Øvredal
Genre: Horror/ Fantasy
Runtime: 118 minutes
Year: 2023
Starring: Corey Hawkins, Liam Cunningham, David Dastmalchian, Aisling Franciosi, Chris Walley, Jon Jon Briones, Woody Norman, Stefan Kapicic, Martin Furulund
 
Description: A crew sailing from Varna, Bulgaria by the Black Sea to England find that they are carrying very dangerous cargo.

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2023 MOVIE CHALLENGE
WEEK 50: A MOVIE RELEASED IN 2023
 
Review: The thing with prequels is, that you know how it will end, because you already know the story that follows. “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” is something of a prequel, as it is a chapter somewhere in the book “Dracula”. Again, there is never any doubt about how this will end, but the journey to that end is intriguing.

The ship Demeter has been commissioned to sail some large crates to London, that will take at least a week. They don’t know for who it is, but they have been promised a large bonus if they delivery arrives faster than usual. But then strange things begin to happen on board.

Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” is a literary horror classic, there is a little bit about how Dracula managed to move himself from Transylvania to England: by boat. And by the time the ship arrives, there is no crew in sight. So The Last Voyage of the Demeter” offers no mystery.

For the screenplay, two characters have been invented that do not interfere with the source material. The main character is Clemens, a black man who graduated from Cambridge University, but cannot get a job because of the color of his skin. Well-acted by Corey Hawkins.

The other is Anna, a girl who appeared to be in one of the crates and has all sorts of strange-looking wounds on her body. One wants to throw her overboard, but Clemens heals her and becomes her protector.

The story still has enough suspense, even with knowing where it will eventually end. What happened to the crew, in detail, we don’t know. And the film is at times mildly scary, it’s very doable if you’re a scaredy-cat . The cinematography is amazing. Since the entire film takes place on a ship, you have little to work with. The set is beautifully designed and built, and the camera captures this perfectly. The way they work with light and shadow is very well done.

I did enjoy the film, putting focus on this part of the well-known story. I was invested, because I find Dracula one of the most interesting literary characters in history. They way everything was filmed was really impressive, but the characters, besides Clemens, are all a bit flat.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 153: The Wind That Shakes the Barley

Director: Ken Loach
Genre: Drama
Runtime: 124 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Liam Cunningham, Pádraic Delaney

Description: Against the backdrop of the Irish War of Independence, two brothers fight a guerrilla war against British forces.

Review: Director Ken Loach is a master in telling intimide stories. Heavy, personal themes. In “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” is tells the story of one of the most important chapter in Ireland’s history.
Loach manages to create a negative image of the fight against British occupants, with a constant threatening atmosphere. There is no peace and the heroism of the Irish men is never heroic, because the price the pay is high. Although Loach focusses on the Irish side of the story and the English are a one-dimensional evil people, he never chooses a side. It isn’t an anti-British film.

Rating: 4/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 115: The Guard

Director: John Michael McDonagh

Genre: Thriller/ Crime/ Comedy

Runtime: 96 minutes

Year: 2011

Starring: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham, David Wilmot, Mark Strong, Rory Keenan, Fionnula Flanagan, Dominique McElligott, Sarah Greene, Katarine Cas, Pat Shortt, Darren Healy, Laurence Kinlan, Gary Lydon, Ronan Collins, Dermot Healy, Dominick Hewitt, Sharon Kearney, Michael Og Lane, Conor Moloney, Giedrius Nagys, Mark O’Halloran, Wale Ojo, Eamonn Olwill, David Pearse, Gary Robinson, Owen Sharpe

Description: An unorthodox Irish policeman (Brendan Gleeson) with a confrontational personality is partnered with an up-tight F.B.I. agent (Don Cheadle) to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring.

Review: Brendan Gleeson is a late bloomer. It wasn’t until he was 34 that he got his first movie role. For years Gleeson has been the supporting actor, with movies like “Braveheart”, “Michael Collins”, “Gangs of New York” and “Cold Mountain”. And he was also in the “Harry Potter” series. It was director Martin McDonagh that thought Gleeson could carry a film and he give him one of the leads in “In Bruges”. McDonagh’s brother John Michael McDonagh got Gleeson for “The Guard”, a crime comedy like no other.

Gleeson plays Gerry Boyle, a cop in western Ireland. Gerry has his own rules. He tries drugs that he finds at a crime scene, drinks beer while still on the clock and spends time with call girls. Whoever comments, can expect a sharp response. Gerry is not political correct and very unconventional. American FBI agent Wendell Everett, a role by Don Cheadle, has come to Ireland to solve a drug case. He has to work with Gerry. Two completely different men working together on a big case.

Brendan Gleeson does a great job portraying the rude Gerry. One crude remark after another, he seems like a real ass. But somehow Gleeson manages to give him some charm as well. We see that he can be caring, in his own way. He is a man that has toughened himself to hide his true vulnerability. Then there is Wendell, goodie two shoes living by the rules. The chemistry between Gleeson and Cheadle is good. Fun roles for Liam Cunnigham and Mark Strong, as the semi-philosophical drug criminals and Fionnula Flanagan as Gerry’s foulmouthed mother.

“The Guard” is especially strong because of its dialogue and acting. The sharp oneliners are so enjoyable, even if they are harsh, and Brendan Gleeson is so good. If you like dark comedies, with typical British humor and that are different and cynical, you should definitely watch “The Guard”.

Rating: 5/ 5