Rat Film
2016·Documentary·1h 22m
7.1
★
Across walls, fences, and alleys, rats not only expose our boundaries of separation but make homes in them. "Rat Film" is a feature-length documentary that uses the rat—as well as the humans that love them, live with them, and kill them—to explore the history of Baltimore.
Directed by Theo Anthony
baltimore, usa
rat
Trailer
IMDB
N/A
Where to Watch
Cast
Maureen Jones
Narrator
Crew
Theo Anthony
Director
Theo Anthony
Writer
Dan Deacon
Original Music Composer
Theo Anthony
Editor
Theo Anthony
Director of Photography
Sebastian Pardo
Producer
Riel Roch Decter
Producer
Matt Davies
Sound Designer
Popular Reviews
21 reviews
Sam Scribner
8.0★ · 03/13/26
Trippy, atmospheric and extremely unique
Trippy, atmospheric and extremely unique
Max FW
9.1★ · 05/05/25
“Before the world became the world, it was an egg. Inside the egg was dark. The rat nibbled the egg and let the light in. And the world began.”
I’d like to think in this life or another, Andrew Callaghan has his specific share of coke-fueled rampages through the Channel 5 offices, destroying cameras and any other expensive equipment within reach.
Each time, he has more of a sharp realization that Theo Anthony has more creative talent in framing struggling communities through a fucking AI sounding narrator, than he’s able to with his entire mangling monotone, fetal acne scarred presence on any random street.
And so each time, the rampage gets more violent. He cries more. He bleeds more. He vomits more. Sometimes he elicits a “Theo” in an aggressively gruntlike manner, as if the two were entwined in their existences that only Andrew could properly see.
The Channel 5 employees look on with fear for him and themselves, fear for the company’s future and fear for the inevitable violence. What can they do? Watch. Watch Mr. Callaghan’s flailing, mentally spent body on the new mint green carpet floors, knowing more influential forces are at work here.
But yeah great movie! I feel like essay docs are kinda my thing, which is weird because they stereotypically seem like the laziest/easiest type to make. But here I am again, goddamn impressed by the fluidity of the editing and all of it coming together so organically, with no metaphorical preaching of any kind despite the admittedly large metaphor on display.
Baltimore’s rampant corruption is nothing new in media, and Anthony uses the doc form to keep the awareness of the city alive and fresh. Doesn’t hurt to have an introspective Dan Deacon score either.
I’d like to think in this life or another, Andrew Callaghan has his specific share of coke-fueled rampages through the Channel 5 offices, destroying cameras and any other expensive equipment within reach.
Each time, he has more of a sharp realization that Theo Anthony has more creative talent in framing struggling communities through a fucking AI sounding narrator, than he’s able to with his entire mangling monotone, fetal acne scarred presence on any random street.
And so each time, the rampage gets more violent. He cries more. He bleeds more. He vomits more. Sometimes he elicits a “Theo” in an aggressively gruntlike manner, as if the two were entwined in their existences that only Andrew could properly see.
The Channel 5 employees look on with fear for him and themselves, fear for the company’s future and fear for the inevitable violence. What can they do? Watch. Watch Mr. Callaghan’s flailing, mentally spent body on the new mint green carpet floors, knowing more influential forces are at work here.
But yeah great movie! I feel like essay docs are kinda my thing, which is weird because they stereotypically seem like the laziest/easiest type to make. But here I am again, goddamn impressed by the fluidity of the editing and all of it coming together so organically, with no metaphorical preaching of any kind despite the admittedly large metaphor on display.
Baltimore’s rampant corruption is nothing new in media, and Anthony uses the doc form to keep the awareness of the city alive and fresh. Doesn’t hurt to have an introspective Dan Deacon score either.
“Before the world became the world, it was an egg. Inside the egg was dark. The rat nibbled the egg and let the light in. And the world began.”
I’d like to think in this life or another, Andrew Callaghan has his specific share of coke-fueled rampages through the Channel 5 offices, destroying cameras and any other expensive equipment within reach.
Each time, he has more of a sharp realization that Theo Anthony has more creative talent in framing struggling communities through a fucking AI sounding narrator, than he’s able to with his entire mangling monotone, fetal acne scarred presence on any random street.
And so each time, the rampage gets more violent. He cries more. He bleeds more. He vomits more. Sometimes he elicits a “Theo” in an aggressively gruntlike manner, as if the two were entwined in their existences that only Andrew could properly see.
The Channel 5 employees look on with fear for him and themselves, fear for the company’s future and fear for the inevitable violence. What can they do? Watch. Watch Mr. Callaghan’s flailing, mentally spent body on the new mint green carpet floors, knowing more influential forces are at work here.
But yeah great movie! I feel like essay docs are kinda my thing, which is weird because they stereotypically seem like the laziest/easiest type to make. But here I am again, goddamn impressed by the fluidity of the editing and all of it coming together so organically, with no metaphorical preaching of any kind despite the admittedly large metaphor on display.
Baltimore’s rampant corruption is nothing new in media, and Anthony uses the doc form to keep the awareness of the city alive and fresh. Doesn’t hurt to have an introspective Dan Deacon score either.
I’d like to think in this life or another, Andrew Callaghan has his specific share of coke-fueled rampages through the Channel 5 offices, destroying cameras and any other expensive equipment within reach.
Each time, he has more of a sharp realization that Theo Anthony has more creative talent in framing struggling communities through a fucking AI sounding narrator, than he’s able to with his entire mangling monotone, fetal acne scarred presence on any random street.
And so each time, the rampage gets more violent. He cries more. He bleeds more. He vomits more. Sometimes he elicits a “Theo” in an aggressively gruntlike manner, as if the two were entwined in their existences that only Andrew could properly see.
The Channel 5 employees look on with fear for him and themselves, fear for the company’s future and fear for the inevitable violence. What can they do? Watch. Watch Mr. Callaghan’s flailing, mentally spent body on the new mint green carpet floors, knowing more influential forces are at work here.
But yeah great movie! I feel like essay docs are kinda my thing, which is weird because they stereotypically seem like the laziest/easiest type to make. But here I am again, goddamn impressed by the fluidity of the editing and all of it coming together so organically, with no metaphorical preaching of any kind despite the admittedly large metaphor on display.
Baltimore’s rampant corruption is nothing new in media, and Anthony uses the doc form to keep the awareness of the city alive and fresh. Doesn’t hurt to have an introspective Dan Deacon score either.
Dr. Poop facePRO
8.0★ · 02/28/25
It’s a rat film but it’s really about humans…
The historical stuff was great and made the movie and I loved the way it was presented. It would not have been as good without it
Experimental, unique, and great music
A little unfocused in moments
Also, the best sounding narrator I’ve heard in a movie in a while. Loved her voice and the way it was delivered
The historical stuff was great and made the movie and I loved the way it was presented. It would not have been as good without it
Experimental, unique, and great music
A little unfocused in moments
Also, the best sounding narrator I’ve heard in a movie in a while. Loved her voice and the way it was delivered
It’s a rat film but it’s really about humans…
The historical stuff was great and made the movie and I loved the way it was presented. It would not have been as good without it
Experimental, unique, and great music
A little unfocused in moments
Also, the best sounding narrator I’ve heard in a movie in a while. Loved her voice and the way it was delivered
The historical stuff was great and made the movie and I loved the way it was presented. It would not have been as good without it
Experimental, unique, and great music
A little unfocused in moments
Also, the best sounding narrator I’ve heard in a movie in a while. Loved her voice and the way it was delivered
Archie
8.0★ · 07/23/22
American architecture and homes are so ugly
Gorgeous soundtrack
The American Man has been confined to the decaying sprawl of the city and suburbia yet still finds a way to honor his hunting and fishing rights despite having no wilderness or natural wonder
Gorgeous soundtrack
The American Man has been confined to the decaying sprawl of the city and suburbia yet still finds a way to honor his hunting and fishing rights despite having no wilderness or natural wonder
American architecture and homes are so ugly
Gorgeous soundtrack
The American Man has been confined to the decaying sprawl of the city and suburbia yet still finds a way to honor his hunting and fishing rights despite having no wilderness or natural wonder
Gorgeous soundtrack
The American Man has been confined to the decaying sprawl of the city and suburbia yet still finds a way to honor his hunting and fishing rights despite having no wilderness or natural wonder
LeonDeon
6.0★ · 02/07/18
An interesting an idea for a documentary. Rats fill every city in the world and there people who we don’t pay attention to who make it their job to clean the streets so to say. We follow several different talking heads and a narrator explaining how they deal with rats and their perspectives on the rodent. There are some people who are employed by the city to kill the rats for neighborhoods while others take it upon themselves to hunt for rats even to go as far as to make their own blow guns. While we have this set of stories going on we have a narrator talking about the different experiments that have been tested on rats and how the city of Baltimore did all it could to keep segregation a reality in the 10’s-30’s.
What makes the film faulter is it’s presentation. It’s mainly without a focus and lost within itself. A lot of the time it’s just ramblings, and it would be ok if it had evoked an emotion I don’t normall access to rats. Not to mention there just isn’t enough to really make a feature length documentary about. It spends most of its time on B-Roll and history of the city and less on the more interesting subjects such as the people who deal with rats on a daily basis. So much of the time I could feel myself start to lose interest whenever the narrator came into play, feels like a cheap immatation of Terrance Malick’s character narrations.
What the best parts of the film include are the people who just see rats as pests like most of us do, but decide to take it step further. One guy has built pellet rifles to kill the rodent while another sits in an alleyway with a fishing rod and a buddy with a baseball bat sits next to him. Both people have different ideas on how to end a rats life and why they do what they do. I just wish more of the documentary had followed these people instead of a poorly generated city of Baltimore trying to add it to the creation of the solar system.
If this sounds like your type of movie maybe give it a try, it you like documentaries a little more straightforward I would say probably skip it.
What makes the film faulter is it’s presentation. It’s mainly without a focus and lost within itself. A lot of the time it’s just ramblings, and it would be ok if it had evoked an emotion I don’t normall access to rats. Not to mention there just isn’t enough to really make a feature length documentary about. It spends most of its time on B-Roll and history of the city and less on the more interesting subjects such as the people who deal with rats on a daily basis. So much of the time I could feel myself start to lose interest whenever the narrator came into play, feels like a cheap immatation of Terrance Malick’s character narrations.
What the best parts of the film include are the people who just see rats as pests like most of us do, but decide to take it step further. One guy has built pellet rifles to kill the rodent while another sits in an alleyway with a fishing rod and a buddy with a baseball bat sits next to him. Both people have different ideas on how to end a rats life and why they do what they do. I just wish more of the documentary had followed these people instead of a poorly generated city of Baltimore trying to add it to the creation of the solar system.
If this sounds like your type of movie maybe give it a try, it you like documentaries a little more straightforward I would say probably skip it.
An interesting an idea for a documentary. Rats fill every city in the world and there people who we don’t pay attention to who make it their job to clean the streets so to say. We follow several different talking heads and a narrator explaining how they deal with rats and their perspectives on the rodent. There are some people who are employed by the city to kill the rats for neighborhoods while others take it upon themselves to hunt for rats even to go as far as to make their own blow guns. While we have this set of stories going on we have a narrator talking about the different experiments that have been tested on rats and how the city of Baltimore did all it could to keep segregation a reality in the 10’s-30’s.
What makes the film faulter is it’s presentation. It’s mainly without a focus and lost within itself. A lot of the time it’s just ramblings, and it would be ok if it had evoked an emotion I don’t normall access to rats. Not to mention there just isn’t enough to really make a feature length documentary about. It spends most of its time on B-Roll and history of the city and less on the more interesting subjects such as the people who deal with rats on a daily basis. So much of the time I could feel myself start to lose interest whenever the narrator came into play, feels like a cheap immatation of Terrance Malick’s character narrations.
What the best parts of the film include are the people who just see rats as pests like most of us do, but decide to take it step further. One guy has built pellet rifles to kill the rodent while another sits in an alleyway with a fishing rod and a buddy with a baseball bat sits next to him. Both people have different ideas on how to end a rats life and why they do what they do. I just wish more of the documentary had followed these people instead of a poorly generated city of Baltimore trying to add it to the creation of the solar system.
If this sounds like your type of movie maybe give it a try, it you like documentaries a little more straightforward I would say probably skip it.
What makes the film faulter is it’s presentation. It’s mainly without a focus and lost within itself. A lot of the time it’s just ramblings, and it would be ok if it had evoked an emotion I don’t normall access to rats. Not to mention there just isn’t enough to really make a feature length documentary about. It spends most of its time on B-Roll and history of the city and less on the more interesting subjects such as the people who deal with rats on a daily basis. So much of the time I could feel myself start to lose interest whenever the narrator came into play, feels like a cheap immatation of Terrance Malick’s character narrations.
What the best parts of the film include are the people who just see rats as pests like most of us do, but decide to take it step further. One guy has built pellet rifles to kill the rodent while another sits in an alleyway with a fishing rod and a buddy with a baseball bat sits next to him. Both people have different ideas on how to end a rats life and why they do what they do. I just wish more of the documentary had followed these people instead of a poorly generated city of Baltimore trying to add it to the creation of the solar system.
If this sounds like your type of movie maybe give it a try, it you like documentaries a little more straightforward I would say probably skip it.