If you thought haunted houses were scary, try being trapped on a creaky, vintage steamboat with no Wi-Fi, no escape, and a ghost with very unfinished business.
Enter Screamboat — the latest horror flick making major ripples in the genre. Equal parts eerie, stylish, and downright terrifying, the movie has quickly become one of the most talked-about thrillers of the year.
Plot That Rocks the Boat
Set on a lavishly restored 1930s paddle steamer, Screamboat follows a group of influencers and filmmakers invited to document a “haunted cruise experience” as part of a viral marketing stunt. But when the fog rolls in and guests start vanishing, it becomes clear that this ghost story isn’t fiction.
What makes Screamboat stand out isn’t just its clever name or spooky setting — it’s the atmosphere. Think polished wood, flickering gas lamps, and the haunting sound of a riverboat calliope echoing through the night. Add a deeply unsettling backstory involving a long-forgotten river tragedy, and you’ve got a recipe for a slow-burn scarefest that lingers.
A Throwback to Classic Horror with a Modern Edge
Director Mara Voss (known for her work on Silent Vale and Porcelain) brings a rich, cinematic style to the screen, mixing old-school horror vibes with modern social commentary. “It’s about more than ghosts,” Voss told FlickerBeat Magazine. “It’s about what we choose to forget — and what comes back when we try to profit off the past.”
Early reviews have praised the film’s unique setting and practical effects. No green screens here — the entire film was shot aboard a real decommissioned steamboat in Louisiana.
Cast & Buzz
The cast includes rising stars Maya Chen as a true-crime podcaster, Julian Cross as the jaded cruise host, and Luca Reyes, whose performance as the boat’s eerie steward is already getting award-season whispers.
The first trailer dropped like a thunderclap, racking up over 3 million views in a single weekend. Fans are calling it “The Conjuring on water” and “the movie Ghost Ship wishes it was.”