The Rats (2002) (TV)

Director:

John Lafia

Writer (WGA):

Frank Deasy (written by)

Release Date:

17 September 2002 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

They're bold... They're breeding... They're hungry... Most of all... They have no fear.

Plot:

A clan of evil rats overtakes a Manhattan department store and threatens to overrun the city.

Plot Keywords:

Breasts | Dressing Room Scene | Female Nudity | Topless | Thong

Cast

Mädchen Amick	...	Susan Costello
Vincent Spano	...	Jack Carver
Shawn Michael Howard	...	Ty
Daveigh Chase	...	Amy Costello
David Wolos-Fonteno	...	Ray Jarrett
Sheila McCarthy	...	Miss Paige
Elisa Moolecherry	...	Nyla
Joe Pingue	...	Karl
Kathryn Winslow	...	Queen
Aron Tager	...	Janitor
Yanna McIntosh	...	Doctor
Jennifer Coristine	...	Nurse
Kim Poirier	...	Jay
Balázs Koós	...	Tech Guy (as Balazs Koos)
Jackie Laidlaw	...	Bitchy Woman (as Jackie Laidlow)

Also Known As:

Killer Rats (Europe: English title) (video title)
The Colony (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some creature violence and brief nudity.

Runtime:

94 min | 85 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Spain:18 | Argentina:16 | USA:R | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Cort/Madden Productions

Trivia:

Was originally going to air in late 2001 but release was pushed back after 9/11.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Leptospirosis or Weil's Disease is spread by contact with the urine from infected rats and not the bites.

Quotes:

Susan Costello: Hi, I'm Susan Costello. Oh! Are you alright?
Jay: Yeah, I think so.
Susan Costello: How'd you cut it?
Jay: I don't know, I just reached down to get my clothes.
Susan Costello: Can you show me where?
Jay: [They walk to the changing room] It was right over there.
Susan Costello: Okay.
[She searches through Jay's clothes then gasps]
Susan Costello: It was a carpet tack.
Jay: But how can that just cut...
[...]

Remarkably better than the usual made-for-TV junk

It's amazing what you can achieve if you dispose over a bit of professionalism. Even the most routine straight-to-cable production can be worth watching if the acting and directing is a little decent. It was the Fox Network that hired John Lafia (Man's Best Friend) to do the directing and the still yummy Mädchen Amick for the female lead. Vincent Spano (Alive) and Daveigh Chase (The Ring) complete the above average cast. The premise of a giant rat-plague threatening a big city isn't exactly new, but still this film succeeds in bringing a bit of tension and entertainment. Mostly thanks to the excellent underground shooting locations (basements, sewers, subways…) 'the Rats' looks icky and a bit unsettling. The rats naturally are slightly mutated by lab-tests and therefore a lot more aggressive and more difficult to annihilate. The grotesque finale in which a swimming pool is used as a rat-fountain is very over-the-top, yet brightly and well elaborated. Mädchen Amick is a seriously underrated actress and I hope she'll receive some new, bigger acting offers real soon. Vincent Spano is pretty good as well and he clearly enjoys sharing rat-trivia with the viewer. I don't know if all what he said is true (for every inhabitant in NY there are 9 rats?? You can get Weil's disease from a rat-bite??) but it was interesting nevertheless. Recommended!