We seem to be getting more and more of these types of films these days, but when I found out that David Howard Thornton was in Screamboat as Steamboat Willie, I was intrigued.
A group of New Yorkers is enjoying a late-night ferry ride when a mischievous mouse starts a rampage, targeting unsuspecting passengers. The unlikely crew must unite to stop the dangerous little menace before their relaxing commute turns into a nightmare.
Right from the very start of the movie, you know exactly what you are in for, plenty of camp horror and gory kills all by a short mouse that has a passion for killing the passengers on the ferry and an alteray motive to why “Steamboat Willie” is the way he is and what he is after.
David Howard Thornton is a master of his style of bringing a character to the screen, and much like his portrayal of Art the Clown, his movements bring the comedy to the evil-looking character that he masterfully brings to life.
Despite the gory kills that have some good physical effects, we are treated to some cartoon moments as we are given a back story to what happened to Wille back in the day with Captain Walt and the steamboat, it’s very much like the source material from the original black and white cartoon from Disney in 1928, we even get the theme from it as the evil mouse whistles to its victims.
Screamboat is certainly one of those films that you can’t take seriously and I think that’s probably the point, with more of these types of movies saturating the market, it’s a refreshing change to see one that has enough comedy thrown in to make it less all out horror and make it somewhat enjoyable.
Starring David Howard Thornton (Art the Clown in the Terrifier series), Kailey Hyman (Terrifier 2), Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf), Jesse Posey (Selena: The Series), Jarlath Conroy (Day of the Dead), Jesse Kove (D-Day: Battle of Omaha Beach) and Brian Quinn (Impractical Jokers), and featuring creature designs from Christian Beckman’s Quantum Creation FX (The Last Voyage of the Demeter) inspired by designs from Christian Cordelia (Avatar: The Way of Water), Screamboat is written by Steven LaMorte (The Mean One) and Matthew Garcia-Dunn (Silent Hill: Ascension) and directed by Steven LaMorte.
Filmed on a decommissioned Staten Island ferry owned by comedians Pete Davidson and Colin Jost, Screamboat embraces its low-budget roots while offering a unique blend of horror and humour.
A Camp, Gory and Funny Horror
Movie title: ScreamBoat (2025)
Movie description: On the last ferry of the night in New York, passengers and crew are hunted by a merciless rat, and what should have been a peaceful crossing turns into a bloody massacre.
Date published: June 3, 2025
Country: UK
Duration: 1h 42m
Director(s): Steven LaMorte
Actor(s): Tyler Posey, David Howard Thornton, Jesse Kove
Genre: B-Horror, Dark Comedy
Summary
Screamboat is bonkers, gory and a scream! If you are a fan of David Howard Thornton, then check this out.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
