BLACK MANDALA is proud to present RISE OF THE RATS, a horror-punk feature directed by Stephen Roach (The Crucifix: Blood of the Exorcist, Cookster: The Darkest Days). Drawing inspiration from iconic 1980s genre films such as The Lost Boys, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Gremlins, RISE OF THE RATS delivers a wild blend of horror, personality, dark humor, and punk energy — all rooted in something unmistakably British.
According to director and screenwriter, RISE OF THE RATS grew out of a desire to create a horror film driven by a true punk spirit — something energetic, entertaining, rebellious, and full of character. That attitude runs through every element of the film, from its visual style and performances to the strange and dangerous world at the heart of the story.
Beneath the fun and chaos, however, lies something much darker. At its core, the film explores what happens when the past is allowed to rot. Rise of the Rats is not simply a monster, but a manifestation of inherited trauma, guilt, violence, and abandonment.
Kayla Thornhill, a rebellious young punk, travels with her estranged father, Jack, to Ditchfield, the town where he grew up. What begins as an uneasy return home quickly turns sinister as Kayla discovers that Ditchfield is suffering from a relentless rat infestation — and that something far more disturbing lies beneath the surface. Digging into the town’s past, Kayla uncovers whispers of a brutal act of collective violence committed decades earlier, a secret the residents have spent years trying to bury.
From that buried history emerges the Rat Man, a grotesque embodiment of the town’s guilt, violence and unresolved trauma. As he unleashes hordes of bloodthirsty rats and begins exacting revenge, the death toll rises and Ditchfield descends into chaos.
Caught in the middle, Kayla is forced to confront the truth about her father’s connection to the town’s darkest secret — and the consequences of a past that refuses to stay buried.
RISE OF THE RATS is represented internationally by BLACK MANDALA.
Director: Stephen Roach
Script: Robert Howgate
Cast: Grace Gallagher, Mark Collier, Tania Staite, Jamie Nowski, Shayli Reagan, Darren Le Fevre, Adrian Annis
Cinematographer: Stephen Roach
Music: Karl Casey, Daniel Garavini
Producer: Robert Howgate
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