Willard

2003 Horror

A young man uses his vermin pals to exact revenge upon the people who've domineered his life in this remake of the 1971 cult classic. Starring Crispin Glover in the role originated by Bruce Davison, Willard concerns the mundane, repressed existence of the twentysomething title character, who lives at home with his nagging mother (Jackie Burroughs) and works at a shipping company for a stern, authoritarian supervisor (R. Lee Ermey). When Willard becomes fascinated with a gaggle of rats living in his decrepit home, they become both his friends and his aggressors, as he sics them upon anyone who crosses his path. But one rat, Ben, isn't so amenable to Willard's orders, and a horrifying test of wills begins. Willard was brought to the screen for the second time by writer/director Glen Morgan and producer James Wong, who previously worked together on episodes of The X-Files as well as the features Final Destination and The One. more..

Director: Glen Morgan

Starring: Crispin Glover, R. Lee Ermey, Laura Elena Harring, Jackie Burroughs, Kimberly Patton

Reviews

  • The new version is actually better. It's still a fairly ham-handed revenge-of-the-nerd horror fable, but you don't go to a movie like Willard for subtlety. You go to be skeeved out by rats, rats, and more rats, and I'm tempted to say that Willard does a fairly rat-tastic job of it.

    Owen Gleiberman - Entertainment Weekly

    11 May 2013

  • Want your skin to crawl? This one's for you.

    Peter Travers - Rolling Stone

    11 May 2013

  • A silly, snarling romp -- a fun (if you're in the mood for it), sometimes scary look at the life of a socially awkward man whose best friend is a white rodent he names Socrates.

    Jonathan Curiel - The San Francisco Chronicle

    11 May 2013

  • Wonderfully deranged.

    Wesley Morris - The Boston Globe

    11 May 2013

  • This faithful resurrection of the original "Willard," a twisted gem in its own right, also is funny.

    - The Chicago Tribune

    11 May 2013

Awards

  • Best Actor

    Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (2004)

     
  • Best Cinematography in Theatrical Feature

    Canadian Society of Cinematographers Awards (2004)

  • Best Score

    Fangoria Chainsaw Awards (2004)

  • Best DVD Extras

    Satellite Awards (2004)