Freeze Frame: “The Last Voyage of the Demeter” (R), “Jules” (PG-13), “Heart of Stone” (PG-13), “Red, White and Royal Blue” (R)

“The Last Voyage of the Demeter” is an adaptation of just one chapter from Bram Stoker’s classic novel “Dracula.” Corey Hawkins and Kansas City native son David Dastmalchian star in the tale of voyagers trapped at sea with the infamous vampire. An impressive cast and strong production values boost this claustrophobic chiller, but the fact that we know the outcome saps it of some of its potency.

The sci-fi comic drama “Jules” might as well have been called “E.T. and the Geriatrics.” It’s a gentle, sweet-natured tale about three elderly folks who befriend a being from another planet who crash lands on Earth. Ben Kingsley, Jane Curtain, and Harriet Sansom Harris play seniors who embrace the intergalactic traveler as a substitute for their neglectful offspring. “Jules” has some low-key charms but never achieves the emotional impact it was aiming for.

The Netflix spy thriller “Heart of Stone” seems like it was cobbled together from ideas that were rejected for a James Bond script. Gal Gadot plays an uber-talented double-agent who works for a non-governmental peacekeeping organization coordinated by a quantum supercomputer. Naturally, baddies attempt to take control of the machine. While it has some well-staged action, “Heart of Stone” could have been written by a computer.

Amazon Prime’s romantic comedy “Red, White & Royal Blue” is a straightforward telling of a gay story. Taylor Zakhar Perez plays the son of the US President who falls for the King of England’s grandson, played by Nicholas Galitzine. The story hits a lot of conventional romcom notes as these two fumble their way to romance. Other than the fact that the leads are of the same gender, there’s little in “Red, White & Royal Blue” that’s fresh.


Share This Episode