Movie Review: Screamboat (2025)

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Synopsis: The Staten Island Ferry has been part of New York since the 19th century. A forgotten part of its history is Captain Steamboat Willie, a human-like mouse killed in a shipwreck and now believed to be an urban legend. However, when a sealed hatch onboard the ferry is opened, freeing Willie, he is quick to reveal he is real by taking control of the ship and starting a murderous rampage.

Who's in it? The movie stars David Howard Thornton, Tyler Posey, Sarah Kopkin, Jesse Kove and Amy Schumacher.


Review: When I came across Screamboat a few days ago, I had some serious doubts about yet another horror movie based on a beloved cartoon character, especially since the last Steamboat Willie-based movie I saw, The Mouse Trap, wasn't one of my favorites. However, the trailer piqued my interest so we gave it a try.

It ended up being surprisingly good.

I'm not going to tell you this movie is terrifying because it isn't. In fact, I would describe it as being just as goofy as it is gruesome. It does, however, manage to mix both of the latter in a way that makes it entertaining.

I'm still a bit unclear about Willie's (Thornton) motives for murder but the mouse certainly had a talent for it. There was quite a bit of variety to his murderous ways, ranging from stabbing with a harpoon to electrocution. Plus, since it was unclear if Willie was a ghost or just immortal, we didn't know if/how he'd be able to be stopped.

My wife and I both got a kick out of the well-timed references to Disney, whether it was a birthday party dressed up like Disney princesses or one-liners that were quotes from other Disney movies. It kept the movie fun, as did Willie's romantic interest in Ilsa (Kopkin) because her outfit reminded him of his presumed-dead girlfriend. The romantic subplot also kept things extra interesting because there was no way of knowing how that would play out.

Final Opinion: There are a lot of horror movies attempting to take advantage of expired copyrights of classic kid-friendly characters. So far, this one is arguably the best one, at least in my opinion. I may even watch the sequel if there is one.

My Grade: B

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Here are some reviews of other 2025 horror films:

Movie Review: Final Destination: Bloodlines (2025)

Movie Review: Until Dawn (2025)

Movie Review: Drop (2025)

Movie Review: Flight Risk (2025)

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