Ben

The film opens with a flashback recap: Willard Stiles is killed by his own rats after attempting to kill them and Ben. Police arrive at the scene and find Willard dead, setting the stage for the rat menace.

Two officers stay at the Stiles house; one is attacked and killed by the rats, while the other finds Willard's body. The chaotic scene foreshadows the danger the rats pose to the city.

Detective Clift Kirtland orders an exterminator to kill the rats. His plan marks the beginning of formal attempts to eradicate the infestation.

Ben hears about the extermination efforts and informs the other rats. The rat colony retreats into the city’s sewer system to avoid traps and poison.

Danny Garrison, a lonely boy with a severe heart condition, befriends Ben in his workshed. Ben becomes Danny's best friend and protector.

That night, Ben and the rat colony attack a food truck, causing the driver to crash and another driver to die. The incident shows the rats' growing ferocity as they scavenge for food.

The next day, Danny sits at the piano and plays a song he created for Ben. The moment highlights their bond and Danny's trust in his unusual friend.

Ben leads the rats in an invasion of a grocery store, destroying shelves and products. The raid demonstrates the colony's increasing reach and threat to the neighborhood.

Police and detectives intensify efforts to kill the rats with poison and traps throughout the neighborhood. Danny warns Ben about the traps, signaling the dangerous game between humans and rats.

A local bully harasses Danny, and Ben and the rats bite him in the legs, forcing him to run away. The bully returns later with his mother and the police, escalating the confrontation.

The police demand to see Ben, so Danny brings them to the workshed and presents a marionette that resembles Ben. The ruse ends with the bully and his mother leaving the workshed.

Ben's colony grows more violent in its search for food, and several people die as the rats expand their raids. The city experiences mounting fear as resources dwindle.

The police pursue the rats into the sewers, sealing the tunnels and killing many with flamethrowers and shotguns. Ben manages to survive the slaughter, returning to Danny wounded but alive.

Danny tends to the injured Ben in a tearful reunion, determined not to lose his best friend. The moment reaffirms their bond and sets a hopeful, if bittersweet, tone for their future.