π₯ Willard (2003) is a dark and unsettling psychological thriller that follows the lonely and socially awkward Willard Stiles, an IT worker living under the thumb of his tyrannical mother. Insulted and ostracized at work, he finds solace in his only true friendsβrats.
When his only ally at work passes away, Willard inherits a large number of rats and ships them to his home. Seizing control, he trains them to do his biddingβand exact revenge on those who have hurt him. As Willard grows bolder, one rat in particular, Socrates, becomes the leader of his growing horde.
What starts as small pranks escalates to orchestrated terror. Willardβs urge for vengeance grows darker and more complex as the rats carry out increasingly sinister schemes. As he slips further away from reality, loyalty shifts, and power corrupts both man and beast.
Caught in this twisted alliance, Willard struggles to escape the shadow of his crueltyβeven as everyone around him starts to suffer. Socrates becomes ruthless, embodying Willardβs darkest impulses and forcing him to confront the monster he has aided.
Willard is both horror and character studyβexploring control, revenge, and the dissolution of empathy. With creepy rats, gradual descent into obsession, and a chilling atmosphere, the film asks: what happens when a broken man finds power in darknessβand loses himself along the way?
