Watch Rat Film

Rat Film is a unique and thought-provoking documentary film released in 2016. Directed by Theo Anthony, the film explores the complex relationship between rats and humans in the city of Baltimore. The film sheds light on the city's long-standing history of racial segregation and how it's tied to the abundance of rats in certain neighborhoods. Rat Film not only investigates the physical presence of rats but also delves into the social, economic and political factors that led to their population growth in the city.

The film opens with a casual conversation between a Baltimore resident and a pest control worker who describes the behavior of rats and their ability to adapt to different environments. This sets the tone for the rest of the film, which takes a scientific approach to presenting the facts about rats and their behavior patterns.

Throughout the film, archival footage from the past is used to illustrate the government's official response to the city's rat infestation. Viewers are also shown scenes of people trapping and killing rats, which can be disturbing for some audiences.

One of the key themes explored in Rat Film is the relationship between rats and people. The film examines the reasons why rats are drawn to certain urban areas, highlighting the factors that attract them, such as poor sanitation, industrial waste, and garbage disposal practices. The film also shows how rats have adapted to urban living, developing their social structures and creating sophisticated tunnels and networks. Moreover, Rat Film explores the danger that rats pose to human health, showcasing the history of rat-borne diseases such as the bubonic plague.

Another significant aspect of the film is the institutional racism that has contributed to the rat problem in Baltimore. Digitized historical documents are used to reveal the role of the city's public housing and urban renewal initiatives in creating the conditions that allowed for rat infestations. The film also uncovers the existence of redlining schemes, where neighborhoods with higher concentrations of African-Americans were systematically denied investment and upkeep, thereby creating an environment that encouraged rats to thrive.

Rat Film uses interviews with residents of Baltimore to highlight the emotional toll that this infestation has taken on the city's communities. Residents speak of their fears of encountering rats at night, as well as the frustration of dealing with the bureaucracy and inefficiency of the city's rat extermination efforts.

The film also explores novel methods of rat control, such as using sterilization techniques rather than traditional poison traps or extermination methods. The idea behind this approach is to reduce the rat population over time without causing harm.

In addition to providing a sobering analysis of the relationship between rats and humans, Rat Film also features an original soundtrack composed by Baltimore native Dan Deacon. Deacon's high-energy music is well-suited to the fast-paced, information-heavy film and helps in highlighting the more sinister aspects of the story.

Overall, Rat Film is a fascinating and thought-provoking documentary that raises questions about the socioeconomic, institutional, and cultural factors that contribute to urban problems. It is a gripping and often disturbing portrayal of a city struggling to control a preventable epidemic as well as the lessons we can learn from the creatures living among us. Rat Film is definitely one of the most unconventional and original documentaries made in recent times.

Rat Film is a 2017 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 22 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8 and a MetaScore of 83.