I Watch Films: Ben

 

Ben

A sequel to Willard; as it opens the police investigating the events of Willard are attacked by rats. The detective in charge, Cliff Kirtland, orders exterminators. The big black rat Ben hears and appears to understand this, and leads the rats down into the sewers.

Later Ben encounters Danny Garrison. Danny has a heart condition so doesn’t go to school, living an isolated life at home, though he has a big work/play shed where he has a puppet theatre amongst other things. Danny becomes Ben’s friend; he makes a puppet of him and writes a song about Ben (that goes on to be a big hit for Michael Jackson).

The rats meanwhile are making organised and aggressive raids for food, causing a truck to crash and destroying a store. The police set traps and poison, warning the local families, Danny passing on the warning to Ben. Danny encounters a bully; the rats attack the bully. When the police come to investigate Danny shows them puppet-Ben and they leave.

The rats get more and more aggressive. Eventually the police and city workers enter the sewers with shotguns and flamethrowers, but it doesn’t go all their way. Danny goes into the sewers to try and save them, and his sister follows to try and save him. In Willard, using the rats and his boss’s bullying slowly corrupted Willard. In this one Danny remains as good-hearted as ever, and that makes it even more creepy with the juxtaposition of people getting eaten alive by rats.

Watch This: Creepy rat horror
Don’t Watch This: Rats are our friends