The 11 Best Horror Movies With Rats And Rodents Of All Sizes
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Vote up the best horror movies with rats.
- 1Marjoe Gortner, Pamela Franklin, Ralph Meeker
While on a hunting trip, Morgan and his friends uncover that something strange has happened on a remote island in Canada as all the creature has miraculously become gigantic. From wasps to chickens, every animal on the island has become a mutant bloodthirsty monstrosity, but none are more dangerous than the rats hellbent on destroying this small island. The Food of the Gods is an H.G. Well's adaptation that manages to play itself intensely seriously while having some of the wackiest and weirdest effects of all time. A remarkably fun film that does take itself too seriously, The Food of the Gods is a perfect blend of animal terror and mutant mayhem.
- 2Ernest Borgnine, Elsa Lanchester, Bruce Davison
A drastically different take than the Willard most audiences are accustomed to, the 1971 horror classic takes a far more over-the-top vibe than its 2003 successor and is highlighted by Bruce Davison playing the titular character with a charm of unhinged madness to him. While the rats in the film still play an incredibly important role in the film, they are shown in far more few and far between scenes as getting ahold of rats and using them in the 70s wasn't quite as easy as it was in the 2000s. Willard is just different and unique enough to stand on its own while being a fantastic companion film to its inevitable reboot.
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- 3Meredith Baxter, Arthur O'Connell, Joseph Campanella
Throughout the 1970s, having rats in psychological horror thrillers seemed like a quick and easy way to amplify the terror of a film, and no film made this trend more popular than 1972's Ben. A film that follows a boy who befriends a rat only to uncover that the rat is the leader of a pack of murderous rats hellbent on massacring a town, the film is far more family-friend terror than outright horror, but still managed to influence and entire generation to create copycats for an entire decade. A wonderful look back at history and the bizarre influence the horror genre can have on pop culture, Ben manages to stand the test of time, even if it isn't the best movie ever made.
- 4Crispin Glover, R. Lee Ermey, Jackie Burroughs
The remake of the 1971 horror classic Willard is inarguably one of the most popular and acclaimed horror movies with rats of all time, as not only do the often creepy creatures play a pivotal role in the film, they helped solidify themselves as one of the scariest animals in horror within this very film. Following a depressed man who befriends a group of rats that hause his late father's mansion, Willard soon finds out that these creatures love, trust, and will obey him, setting him on a dangerous path of death and vengeance. Exponentially more gruesome and grotesque than its original, 2003's Willard showed the world exactly why they should be afraid of rats.
More Willard - 5David Andrews, Kelly Wolf, Stephen Macht
Graveyard Shift is a creature feature that has tragically been forgotten in time, but more than deserves a second chance at life. Based on the Stephen King story, Graveyard Shift follows a drifter who takes a job working the titular graveyard shift cleaning out basements, only to discover a plague of monstrous rats that are hellbent on killing and devouring this small town. An intensely fun film that manages to mix masterful creature effects with a cheesy and over-the-top vibe with questionable acting choices, the film is simply one hardcore horror fans can have a great time laughing both at, and with.
- 6Shannon Tweed, Peter Weller, Maury Chaykin
The battle between man versus rat is showcased to complete perfection in 1983's Of Unknown Origin. Following a young family who rebuilds a townhome only to uncover a rat infestation, the film soon turns into Peter Weller versus rats in a story that works because of how deadly serious it takes itself. Weller brings his hardcore Robocop energy to the film, making it all the more intense, while director George P. Cosmatos delivers some breathtaking rat POV shots that make the film feel like a real battle to the death between these two parties involved. While it may seem a bit ridiculous on paper, Of Unknown Origin manages to work because of its fantastic writing, direction, and ability to make a small situation feel otherworldly.
- 7Harvey Keitel, George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino
Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn is a horror film that has just a little bit of everything that every horror fan can enjoy. Highway robbery, brothers on the run, naked women in bars, vampires, and of course, hideous rat creatures that will inevitably invade audiences' nightmares for all time. The film is a masterful work of art that manages to feel grounded and real despite all the over-the-top scenarios our heroes find themselves in, and while the rat in the film may not even be the third worst thing in the movie, simply seeing this massive and horrifying creature one time will stick with audiences for the rest of their lives.
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- 8Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher
One of the rare times that rats and mice aren't played to be the villains, The Witches is a fascinating and fantastic children's horror story that manages to blend family fun adventure with masterful scenes of terror. Following a group of witches who want to turn all children into mice, The Witches provides a rare example of a time when audiences will be cheering for rats and mice alike while hanging onto the edge of their seats wishing they make it out alive. Frightfully fun and wickedly entertaining, the film manages to be a wonderful introduction point of the horror genre for younger viewers while still having the gall to actually be scary.
- 9Scatman Crothers, Cec Linder, Sara Botsford
Deadly Eyes is a film that feels as though it was made out of a stereotypical horror mad libs of the 80s in the best possible way. Following a small town that becomes infested with gigantic rats after they eat corn grain contaminated with steroids, Deadly Eyes plays as almost a parody of the stereotypical rat horror movies of the 70s with the charm and charisma that only 80s campy horror could provide. Entering the film, audiences must know that the events are so over the top they become laughable at points, but therein lies the charm of the film. A campy 80s classic, Deadly Eyes is a cult classic that has managed to withstand the test of time.
- 10James Best, Ingrid Goude, Baruch Lumet
One of the first ever horror movies with rats to ever be made, The Killer Shrews is a 1950s science fiction horror classic that follows a group trapped on a remote island where giant experimental rats have taken over and want to feast on the flesh of the survivors. The originator of the stereotypical rat film, The Killer Shrews managed to be a revolution in its time, thus becoming the blueprint for the 70s and 80s. By today's standards, the film would seem a bit cheesy and possibly even laughable, but for those who are willing and able to transport themselves back into the minds of the 50s, this film will chill them to their very bones.
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- 11Massimo Vanni, Ann-Gisel Glass, Ottaviano Dell'Acqua
A fantastic mix of science fiction and horror, Rats: Night of Terror follows the world one hundred years after a nuclear war has ravished the plane and left gigantic mutant creatures lurking around every corner. Attempting to survive in this wasteland, scavengers venture out into the wasteland only to uncover the local towns have been infested with flesh-eating rats looking for their next victim. Fans of stereotypical 50s science fiction films like Them and Tarantula will feel right at home as this camp-tastic film manages to bring to life the feelings of those older films with the horrific gore and effects of the 80s.
