Reel Review: RATS! (2025)

A fun throwback to 2007, “RATS!” is a strange and absurd film whose plot holes are happily ignored in exchange for comedy gold.

The film begins with Raphael, nails properly adorned with chipped black nail polish, arrested for tagging an abandoned payphone. He receives a simple offer: live with his cousin Mateo and narc him out for allegedly selling… nuclear weapons to Osama Bin Laden… so he can blow up Texas.

His mother, wearing a velour tracksuit with “MILF” adorned across her breasts in rhinestones, sends him off after a visit from a policewoman who is in charge of Raphael’s case, Officer Williams. The digs at authority are funny and more than obvious. Officer Williams is absolutely insane, and I definitely could’ve done without the POV scene of her asshole taking a shit.

Her poorly written character is an obvious caricature of law enforcement, but it does subtract from the enjoyment of the film. It just seems to go on and on and on, and some of the humor involving her falls flat because it’s so ridiculous.

However, the other portrayals of authority in the film are pretty accurate and don’t diminish the film’s humor. In fact, they add to it. 

While Raphael’s story continues, it is also revealed that a serial killer is on the loose, cutting off people’s hands and leaving them in a local lake. So, within this story is the mystery of who is killing people and cutting off their hands and why. Unfortunately, this isn’t properly elaborated on, and the motives were unclear. I had to rewind multiple times just to figure out what on earth was going on in that storyline.

I did not get the resolve I felt I needed when finishing the movie about the serial killer; it’s almost as if too much story was put into this runtime. 

However, the over-the-top deaths and practical effects are a huge bonus.

If there is a sneaky addition of CGI into this film, I genuinely couldn’t tell. Did I absolutely need to see a cop shoot the same guy in the head five times at different angles? No. But I’m so glad I did! 

The storyline with the wannabe reporter could’ve been omitted with no loss to the storyline and no missing comedic situations. I asked myself, “Why?” a lot during this film because not much is elaborated. I still don’t know why the FBI investigated Mateo for allegedly having and selling nuclear weapons to Osama Bin Laden. It feels like this one needs a second watch because I was left with more questions than answers at the end. 

It does need to be said that at the end of this film, I exclaimed, “Didn’t see that coming!”—and I genuinely appreciate a film giving me that reaction.

I want to be kept on my toes when watching a new film, especially an indie film. I appreciated that the budding romance storyline was shut down and that the value was put in family and platonic relationships. 

Also, come on, that soundtrack! It brought back memories of burning my hands on my hair straightener, squeezing into skinny jeans, and sitting with my two friends in the lunchroom. 

All in all, RATS! is a fun-filled, chaotic film whose plot holes are forgiven by its off-the-wall comedy. Where’s my iPod?