Gilbert A. Ralston (1912–1999)

"Willard" is an interesting horror thriller that is part animal attack film and in part a study of the travails of a disenfranchised loner. That loner is Willard Stiles (Bruce Davison) who's stuck at home with domineering mother Henrietta (Elsa Lanchester) and is bullied at work by the devious Al Martin (Ernest Borgnine). Willard eventually befriends co-worker Joan (Sondra Locke), but more importantly he befriends a pair of intelligent rats that he names Socrates and Ben. Soon Willard, show more Socrates and Ben have gathered all the neighbourhood rats and being training them to take revenge on those who Willard believes have wronged him. Written by Gilbert A. Ralston (from a novel by Stephen Gilbert) and directed by Daniel Mann, who cleverly frames the people (with the exception of Willard) as the dirty, disgusting animals and the rats as the helpful, sincere and friendly ones. Mann gives the film an odd and eccentric tone, spiced with a layer of dark humour. This approach is mirrored in the individual characters, all of whom carry a certain degree of eccentricity. The film doesn't have any real blood or gore and avoids normal horror conventions, instead building everything around the strange characters inhabiting the story. Bruce Davison is sympathetic as the socially inept Willard while Elsa Lanchester provides a clever characterisation of corrupted love as Willard's cloying, selfish mother. Ernest Borgnine is perfectly bluff and rough as the Willard's bully boss, who is doing his best to rob Willard of everything he owns. The rats are well-handled and look impressive - even if you virtually see the wranglers throwing them into shot at times. Despite "Willard" becoming overshadowed by its superior sequel "Ben", it is still a good, enjoyable creature-feature and despite being bloodless it is still a thoughtful little revenge drama. show less