Those who survive the ghost ship are better off dead!
Survivors of a tragic shipping collision are rescued by a mysterious black ship which appears out of the fog. Little do they realise that the ship is actually a Nazi torture ship which has sailed the seas for years, luring unsuspecting sailors aboard and killing them off one by one.
Death Ship (1980) is a horror, mystery and thriller film directed by Alvin Rakoff, released on March 7, 1980 with a runtime of 1h 31m. It stars George Kennedy, Richard Crenna, Nick Mancuso and Sally Ann Howes. Viewers rate it 5.1 out of 10 across 165 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for Death Ship before you stream it.
George Kennedy
as Captain Ashland
Richard Crenna
as Trevor Marshall
Nick Mancuso
as Nick
Sally Ann Howes
as Margaret Marshall
Kate Reid
as Sylvia
Victoria Burgoyne
as Lori
Jennifer McKinney
as Robin Marshall
Danny Higham
as Ben Marshall
Saul Rubinek
as Jackie
Murray Cruchley
as Parsons
Doug Smith
as Seaman No. 1
Anthony Sherwood
as Seaman No. 2
Directed by Alvin Rakoff, written by John Robins, David P. Lewis and Jack Hill, produced by Harold Greenberg and Derek Gibson.
Average viewer score of 5.1/10 from 165 ratings.
***Ten people trapped on a ghostly… death ship*** A dilapidated German freighter from WW2 curiously rams a modern cruise ship and ten survivors board the mysterious vessel. But will they ever get off alive? George Kennedy plays the retiring captain of the cruise vessel while Richard Crenna appears as the up-and-coming captain. "Death Ship" (1980) takes the “Poseidon Adventure” (1972) template and adds a horror…
Reviewed on October 27, 2019
Location, location, location Someone scored an old ship, kitted it out, and they made a movie inside of it. That is a very fortuitous way to make a movie, I think. It is a great little movie, very much an 80's flick, but with great characters, arcs that make sense, and tension that builds. It is by no means flawless, but it is a good movie for what it is, and I recommend it.
Reviewed on May 9, 2026
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Death Ship (1980) is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video, Screambox Amazon Channel, Midnight Pulp, Amazon Prime Video with Ads and Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Death Ship (1980) includes George Kennedy, Richard Crenna, Nick Mancuso, Sally Ann Howes and Kate Reid. The film was directed by Alvin Rakoff. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Death Ship was released on March 7, 1980 and runs for 1h 31m.
Death Ship (1980) holds an average rating of 5.1 out of 10 from 165 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy horror, mystery and thriller films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official Death Ship trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
