With the recent trend of public domain IP being turned into vicious horror movie monsters, it was only a matter of time before the classic cartoon Steamboat Willie got its slasher villain makeover. Many people know of Steamboat Willie as a precursor to Mickey Mouse, an icon in his own right for Disney in their early years, and an icon in the world of animation. Though when his copyright expired in January of last year, it didn't take long for a horror movie based on the classic cartoon to be announced, as was the case with Winnie the Pooh and other beloved cartoon characters to enter the public domain. But while many of these public domain horror films fall short of offering anything unique or enjoyable, Screamboat stands out and truly raises the bar.
Screamboat was put together by the production team Fuzz on the Lens productions, most notably known for their work on the last two entries of the indie slasher franchise Terrifier, as well as last year's Stream. It's clear the team wanted to take the time to make this film a fun slasher flick, and they succeeded. Screamboat follows a group of passengers aboard the Staten Island ferry who become the prey of a bloodthirsty mouse-like creature. The film stars Jesse Posey, Allison Pittel, Kailey Hyman, and Amy Schumacher. Genre icon David Howard Thornton also stars as Steamboat Willie himself. In addition, the film is directed by Steven LaMorte, who previously directed the holiday horror reimagining of The Grinch, appropriately titled The Mean One.
The cast delivers solid performances overall, with each character possessing some form of charm. Even if some of them are merely bloody cannon fodder, they remain likable and entertaining until their violently cartoonish end. The stand-out performances for me were Jesse Kove as Lieutenant Diaz and Allison Pittel as Selena. The two shared a great chemistry and ultimately became the heart of the film.
However, nothing compares to David Howard Thornton, who absolutely steals the show as Steamboat Willie. Thornton's Steamboat Willie fully commits to the bit, with Willie gleefully killing people in violent and over-the-top ways, as one has probably come to expect from a David Howard Thornton character. What I admire the most about the film's antagonist, as well as the film itself, is that it actually puts in the work to make Willie a unique slasher villain, at least comparatively.
Many of these types of movies just beef up the character and have them commit mindless killings until some third-act miracle stops them. It all feels like a bland retread of Jason Voorhees without any of the special sauce that made Jason so great in the first place. Steamboat Willie, on the other hand, comes complete with a unique look, quirky and entertaining gimmicks, and a decently fleshed-out backstory. He feels like a cartoon come to life in all the best ways, with cartoonish logic and comedic timing working in his favor as he slices his way through the film.
I also enjoyed the film's tongue-in-cheek writing with the way it riffs on other Disney IPs and modern Disney adult culture. Some of the characters' arcs actually felt genuine and earned, namely Pittel's character, Selena. I also appreciated the detail that went into Willie's backstory, which sets him up as somewhat of a sympathetic villain, but not sympathetic enough to forgive the mountain of bodies on the ferry by the time the film ends. Speaking of the ending, stick around after the credits!
Overall, Screamboat sets a new standard for the recent wave of childhood cartoon characters transforming into public domain horrors, and I hope other films take note of what it does right. For better or worse, it’s the best movie to come out of the phenomenon.
A VOD and home video release of Screamboat is expected in the near future.