The Rats (TV 2002)

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

Director:

John Lafia

Writer:

Frank Deasy

Stars:

Mädchen Amick, Vincent Spano, Shawn Michael Howard

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mädchen Amick	...	Susan Costello
Vincent Spano	...	Jack Carver
Shawn Michael Howard	...	Ty
Daveigh Chase	...	Amy Costello
David Fonteno	...	Ray Jarrett (as David Wolos-Fonteno)
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)

Storyline

In Manhattan, when a client is bitten by a rat in the dressing room of the Garsons Department Store and contracts Weil's disease, the manager Susan Costello is assigned to hire and give all the necessary support to the best exterminator in New York, Jack Carver. The efficient Jack and his assistant Ty find a colony of mutant rats and try to convince the health department administrator and former partner of Jack, Ray Jarrett, how serious the infestation is. But the politician Ray is interested in covering the problem to protect economical interests of powerful groups.

---

Plot Keywords:

rat | department store | exterminator | dressing room | subway | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Horror | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some creature violence and brief nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 September 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Colony

Filming Locations:

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cort/Madden Productions, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min 85 min (cut)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

---

Goofs

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...
[...]

User Reviews

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.