Ratburger (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Gingernut was poisoned by rat poison. Sheila reveals during the final confrontation that she killed the hamster by putting rat poison in its food, explaining the suspicious circumstances surrounding Gingernut's death that had haunted Zoe throughout the story.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Zoe mourning Gingernut's sudden death with no explanation, creating mystery.

• gingernut
• hamster
• poison
• sheila
• death

Burt worked in a laboratory where a rat bit him, causing acid to splash into his eyes. The accident left him blind but granted him an extremely keen sense of smell, which he uses to track rats and locate Armitage throughout the film.

Foreshadowing: Burt's ability to sniff out Armitage despite being blind hints at his enhanced olfactory senses from the beginning.

• burt
• blind
• rat
• laboratory
• acid
• smell

Burt harbors a bitter grudge against rodents due to his laboratory accident. His burger operation is actually a twisted form of revenge, turning captured rats into hamburgers and ketchup made from cockroaches to sell to local schoolchildren.

Foreshadowing: Burt's role as a 'burgerman' and his unusual pest control business hint at his deeper obsession with rats.

• burt
• rat burgers
• cockroach ketchup
• revenge
• villain

Zoe was suspended because she brought Armitage to school hidden in her blazer. When the headmaster and Miss Midge discovered the rat, they threatened suspension since pets are not allowed at school.

Foreshadowing: Zoe's desperation to keep Armitage safe leads her to risk bringing him to school, setting up the suspension plot.

• zoe
• suspension
• school
• armitage
• blazer

When Burt and Sheila fell into the burger machine, Burt's reflexes kicked in and he pushed Armitage away from the blades at the last moment, saving the rat's life. Zoe's father also managed to cling to the machine's edge while Zoe pulled him to safety.

Foreshadowing: Burt's descriptions of his quick reflexes from the lab accident foreshadow his final reflexive action to save Armitage.

• armitage
• burger machine
• survival
• burt
• escape

Burt and Sheila fell into the burger machine they used to make their rat burgers. The ladder collapsed beneath them, and they were transformed into burgers. In a darkly comic twist, the captive rats then feasted on the burgers meant for their captors.

Foreshadowing: The build-up to the confrontation at the warehouse establishes the burger machine as the central threat.

• burt
• sheila
• burger machine
• defeat
• rats

Sheila's intense hatred of rodents stems from her lazy, self-centered nature more than any traumatic backstory. She simply finds them disgusting and wants them out of the council flat, which leads her to poison Gingernut and later collaborate with Burt to get rid of Armitage.

Foreshadowing: From the moment Sheila moves in, she immediately demands Gingernut be removed from the home.

• sheila
• rodents
• dislike
• hamster
• rat

After the warehouse confrontation, Tina reveals she has been bullied by her own father, which explains her cruel behavior toward Zoe. She apologizes for bullying her, and the two form a fragile new friendship. They later perform together at the school talent show.

Foreshadowing: Tina's aggressive behavior toward Zoe hints at deeper issues she struggles with at home.

• tina
• bullying
• father
• apology
• friendship
• talent show

Armitage is portrayed as an unusually intelligent rat who responds to music and can perform tricks. Zoe discovers him as a baby in her room and finds he has a natural affinity for dancing along to songs, much like she trained her previous hamster Gingernut to do.

Foreshadowing: Zoe's skill at training animals is established through her bond with Gingernut before his death.

• armitage
• rat
• dancing
• music
• intelligence
• tricks

Zoe's father had been depressed and spending time at the pub after losing his job, but when Zoe desperately sought his help, he gathered courage at The Executioner & Axe pub and accompanied her to Burt's warehouse to rescue Armitage and free the captive rats.

Foreshadowing: The pub visit serves as a turning point where Zoe's father regains his motivation to protect his daughter.

• father
• warehouse
• rescue
• brave
• pub

After escaping from Burt's warehouse, Zoe and her father convert Burt's van into an ice cream van and launch a new business called Armitage's Ices. The venture becomes popular with local schoolchildren, providing the family with a fresh start and new source of income.

Foreshadowing: Zoe's father previously worked at an ice cream factory before losing his job, making this a natural new beginning.

• armitage's ices
• ice cream van
• business
• family
• new start