Somewhere in the late 2000s, a very specific brand of humor reigned supreme in post 9/11 America. It was an era when absurdity, surrealism, and sheer randomness could pass as the pinnacle of comedy, a time when sites like Newgrounds, Homestar Runner and early YouTube were flooded with bizarre, self-produced, self-financed projects that carried a certain raw energy of intentional stupidity. Rats! taps into that wavelength and manages to successfully resurrect a style of humor that, in lesser hands, might feel dated or out of place today. Instead, it thrives - delivering an experience that is not only wildly entertaining but also shockingly cohesive in its absurdity.
Set in 2007 - a period effectively established by a well-placed McCain/Palin billboard and a heavy dose of scene-kid fashion - Rats! follows Raphael (newcomer Luke Wilcox making a strong impression), a talented but aimless graffiti artist who gets roped into an increasingly ridiculous plot involving law enforcement, plutonium, missing hands, and meth deals (among other things). To avoid trouble, he’s forced into a sting operation led by the aggressive, vulgar and unhinged Officer Williams, played by Danielle Evon Ploeger in a performance so effectively over-the-top that it evokes the cartoonish likes of Jim Carrey or Melissa McCarthy on their wildest days. Raphael’s cousin Mateo (a scene-stealing Darius Autry) has become an unwitting target of law enforcement despite his far more criminally inclined neighbors getting off scot-free, and Raphael is sent in to get the dirt on him, if there’s even any at all.
A key part of what makes Rats! work so well is its complete commitment to its time period. It’s in the details - the fashion (overlong emo haircuts, skinny jeans, long sleeves under short sleeves), the cultural references (“Steve Irwin, man. What a tragedy.”), and, perhaps most importantly, the music. The soundtrack is a dream lineup for anyone who grew up in the alternative scene of the mid-2000s, featuring screamo, post-hardcore, and other alt essentials like I Set My Friends on Fire, From First to Last, Blood Brothers, Thursday, and more. The moment ISMFOF’s unmistakable “Things That Rhyme with Orange” kicks in, it’s clear that directors Carl Fry and Maxwell Nalevansky know exactly what they’re doing and have the scene credentials to back themselves up. The inclusion of these bands doesn’t feel forced or nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake - it’s intrinsic to the film’s DNA.
Stylistically, Rats! is a love letter to the low-budget, high-energy aesthetic that defined so much of that era’s underground media. The cinematography has a deliberately rough quality, its editing is fast-paced and snappy, and the film never lingers too long on a joke before barreling into the next ridiculous sequence. There’s an authenticity here - not just in the way the setting is crafted, but in how its characters interact with their world. The looming recession, the onset of the opioid crisis, the struggle to stay out of trouble while needing to survive, the clash between law enforcement - it’s all played for laughs, but there’s a level of sincerity underneath it all.
The humor in Rats! is relentless and varied, mixing surreal gags, rapid-fire dialogue, and broad physical comedy. A dead body’s spirit briefly floating away before the movie quickly moves on. A perturbed store clerk (John Valley) threatening to “blow your brains out all over the Dragon Ball Z section”. The FBI agents (Rey Washam & Heath Allyn) hiding in a surveillance van for nearly the entire runtime, somehow managing to get some of the film’s funniest bits. A chaotic, bloody, and expertly directed fight scene in a women’s restroom over someone not washing their hands. Even a music video performance from the character Pflophaus (Ka5sh) that manages to feel both nostalgic and oddly ahead of its time. And, of course, a party sequence where casual hard drug use is interspersed with grilling burgers and the image of a vomiting, crucified cop in the background.
But beneath all the chaos and crude humor, Rats! has an unexpected amount of heart. Themes of loyalty and companionship run deep, particularly in Raphael’s interactions with Mateo, his roommates, and the various misfits he meets through his court-mandated misadventures. Even the most minor characters are given moments that make them feel real, thanks to the film’s sharp writing and an ensemble cast that knows exactly how to sell the exaggerated material.
By the time all of the film’s disparate plotlines and characters converge in a gloriously ridiculous climax, it’s clear that Rats! isn’t just a throwback, but something special in its own right. It’s a film that fully understands its niche appeal and leans into it with confidence, never trying to soften its edges for mass appeal. In a just world, a film like this would find a massive audience, but even if it doesn’t, it’s destined to become a cult favorite among those who appreciate its chaotic brilliance. Rats! is more than just a great comedy - it’s a time capsule, a hidden gem, and one of the most delightfully dirty surprises in recent memory.
'Rats!' releases in theaters February 28th and on digital March 11th.
