Screamboat

I have to admit that I harbored zero expectations to this 2025 horror comedy titled "Screamboat", given all the crap that has been released recently with the likes of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Popeye, etc. But still, I hadn't watched this movie already, and given my love o all things horror, of course I had to check it out.

Writers Matthew Garcia-Dunn and Steven LaMorte put together a pretty straightforward script. It wasn't particularly outstanding, but I will admit that the movie was actually oddly entertaining for the cheesy thing it was, pardon the pun. There was something oddly enjoyable about the movie, which I suppose was because it was so far out there.

The only one on the cast list that I was familiar with was David Howard Thornton, and he was portraying the mouse. It should be noted that the acting performances in "Screamboat" were fair.

Sure, "Screamboat" is by no means a cinematic gem in the horror genre, but it was actually an entertaining enough off-beat slasher horror comedy.

And there was actually enough blood and mayhem to keep a seasoned gorehound such as myself sated.

My rating of director Steven LaMorte's 2025 movie "Screamboat" lands on a five out of ten stars.

This film is passable, if you've seen the trailer or know what this is even about, you'll be getting exactly what you were probably expecting - a bunch of purposely expressive characters you'd wanna see killed in true slasher fashion. This is a goofy, extremely self aware film that delivers on just that - if you're expecting anything serious or anything on the aspect of plot that isn't purposely cliche, then you're not watching the right film. Some complaints lie with the pacing, as well as how rushed the end began feeling and looking. Some kills could have gone farther with the hype of people being behind Terrifier, but worry not, this film delivers in its own special take on that; filming in some spots feels jarring and even blurry, some cheap spots. Some genuinely good moments of laughs and self aware dark humor, along with some really fleshed out and decent scenes. This is much better than some other films in this joke wave, however it's far from anything spectacular or good. Memorable? A good film to watch with friends and even catch in theaters for an experience? Yes. This film is serviceable at the very least, I'd recommend if you know exactly what you're walking into - which you should.

I'm pretty sure this movie had a budget of three dollars, seventy-five cents, and a stick of gum.

What were they thinking when they decided to make this cinematic mess-if we can even call it "cinematic"?

Honestly, I have no idea. Have people really lost their creative sense to this extent?

My review of the film:

It felt like I was watching a cheap movie from the 80s.

Oh my God, the effects!

The acting? I swear, it felt like the actors had zero experience. I don't even know where they found them-maybe at a Sunday flea market or something!

And the dialogue? Where do I even begin?

DDDVVVDDD.

I went to see Screamboat on opening night, and to my surprise, I actually kind of enjoyed it. I don't usually watch low-budget films in theaters, but the strong online marketing-along with the fact that Terrifier's David Howard Thornton was in it-pulled me in. I was also intrigued to see how they would take the story of Mickey Mouse's first cartoon and twist it into a horror film.

Having watched the Terrifier series last year, I had a pretty good idea of what I was getting into with Screamboat. While I generally enjoyed the story, the film had the feel of a '90s TV horror movie. That said, the setting was a highlight-being trapped on a slow-moving ferry added a real sense of claustrophobia and tension, making the characters' predicament feel even more desperate.

As for the cast, performances were a mix of good and bad. Some moments felt a bit cheesy and over-the-top, but I particularly enjoyed Allison Pittel and Jesse Posey as Selena and Pete. Their chemistry kept the film engaging and gave the audience characters to root for.

Director Steven LaMorte did a decent job bringing this low-budget horror film to the big screen. The gruesome kills and jump scares will definitely satisfy horror fans. However, there were a few drawbacks. Willie's costume design felt too amateurish and comical to be truly scary. Additionally, the film ran about 20 minutes too long-certain scenes felt repetitive and could have been trimmed to improve pacing.

Despite these issues, I was entertained from start to finish. Screamboat is far from perfect, but if you enjoy gory horror, it's worth a watch.

Final Rating: 5.5/10.

I really wanted to like this but it was just so cringe. I don't feel like I heard one laugh actually hit. The budget felt too small, the mouse nothing like steamboat which was daissopiinting. The Disney princesses were a fun idea but then it didn't finish the joke as in none of them were killed in the fashion of the princesses they were. Also the acting.. Really took me out of it. Better than Mouse Trap, but that is not saying much.

The Disney nods didn't entertain me, the film feels like an eternity, the kills just aren't good largely due to the fact a rat is doing them. The lighting is abysmal, the performances are terrible and it felt like a chore to get through. The rat design is laughable, obviously the budget is low so there are limitations but I just couldn't get on board with this. I'm sure there's a crowd out there that will like it tho so please go form your own opinion.