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:

Rat | Department Store | Exterminator | Dressing Room | Subway

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:

Spain:18 | Finland:K-15 | Argentina:16 | Belgium:KNT (original rating) | Belgium:KT (re-rating) | USA:R | Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Cort/Madden Productions

Trivia:

Was originally going to air on September 11, 2001, but release was pushed back after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Tetanus is not caused by rusty nails. It is caused by the toxin from a bacterium.

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...
[...]

Surprisingly good for a TV movie

Where I live, this film is available under the title "The Rats" and is very obviously a TV movie - no listing of production companies during the opening credits as well as fade-outs every fifteen minutes or so. Nonetheless, this is a very efficient nature-run-amok horror film, with much stronger gore than I was expecting. Madchen Amick plays Susan Costello, a department store manager who comes to discover that rats are all over the place. She calls in a discreet exterminator (Vincent Spano) to take care of the problem, only to learn that the rats are practically taking over the town, and have voracious appetites to boot. The TV production values prevent anything truly disturbing from happening, but the filmmakers seem to know what they're doing and have some fun with the premise. All in all, a good rent - unless it hits your TV screens first.