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Willard

Willard

Horror · Science Fiction · 1971

A social misfit, Willard is made fun of by his co-workers, and squeezed out of the company started by his deceased father by his boss. His only friends are a couple of rats he raised at home, Ben and Socrates. However, when one of them is killed at work, he goes on a rampage using his rats to attack those who have been tormenting him.

Movie details

Willard

“This is Willard and his friend Ben. Ben will do anything for Willard.”

1971 Horror · Science Fiction 1h 35m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.1 / 10

Community rating

A social misfit, Willard is made fun of by his co-workers, and squeezed out of the company started by his deceased father by his boss. His only friends are a couple of rats he raised at home, Ben and Socrates. However, when one of them is killed at work, he goes on a rampage using his rats to attack those who have been tormenting him.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Willard?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Daniel Mann

Written by

Gilbert Ralston

Bruce Davison

Bruce Davison

Willard Stiles

Ernest Borgnine

Ernest Borgnine

Al Martin

Sondra Locke

Sondra Locke

Joan Simms

Elsa Lanchester

Elsa Lanchester

Henrietta Stiles

Michael Dante

Michael Dante

Brandt

Jody Gilbert

Jody Gilbert

Charlotte Stassen

William Hansen

William Hansen

Barskin

Court is in session

Put Willard on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Arthouse Gremlin

“Its refusal to behave is the point.”

The strange choices create the kind of friction that follows you out of the theatre and into the argument.

The prosecution The Prestige Tourist

“Oddness is not depth.”

A film can break every rule and still leave nothing behind but the memory of how hard it tried to be singular.