• Tagline: Where Willard Ended… Ben Begins. And This Time He’s Not Alone!

Plot

A lonely boy befriends the rat that leads the swarm of trained/telepathic rats found in Willard. This rat, whom the boy names Ben, becomes the boy’s best friend and keeps his spirits up in the face of bullying. However, the balance of power between the human and rat begins to shift, with Ben beginning to control the boy and the swarm becoming increasingly irrational and violent. Eventually, the police destroy part of the rat colony, while others are sent to testing labs but Ben survives.

Theme song

The film’s title theme song, “Ben,” performed by Michael Jackson, became a #1 pop hit single. Later included on Jackson’s album of the same name, “Ben” won a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.