The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! (1972) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

The story takes place at the Mooney Family Estate, a large isolated house in rural England. The English countryside setting creates a quiet, claustrophobic atmosphere where the family's dark secrets fester. This gothic location stands at the center of centuries-old werewolf lore that fuels the family's eccentricities and the danger of their nightly transformations.

• mooney estate
• rural england
• gothic house
• countryside setting

The events unfold in 1899, during the late Victorian era in rural England. This period blends medical curiosity with superstition, shaping Pa Mooney's grandiose claims about his age and the family's mysterious rituals. The late Victorian backdrop adds a layer of superstition to the family's secluded life and reflects changing social norms that Diana's return confronts.

• 1899
• late victorian
• victorian era
• historical setting
• 1890s england

The Mooney family are natural-born werewolves who transform into beasts on every full moon. The curse defines their power and vulnerabilities, threading fear throughout the household. Pa Mooney has devoted years to finding a way to break the curse, a quest that drives much of the family's dynamics and the central conflict of the story.

• werewolf curse
• full moon
• mooney family
• lycanthropy
• transformation

Diana Mooney is the only member of the Mooney family who does not transform on the full moon, making her the family's last hope to break the curse. She returns from medical school in Scotland with her husband Gerald, carrying a personal secret about why she is immune. Her cool, determined nature positions her as both a catalyst for change and someone with hidden motives.

• diana mooney
• immunity
• werewolf immunity
• medical school
• curse breaker

Pa Mooney is the ageing patriarch of the Mooney family, a retired medical doctor who claims to be 180 years old. He exerts strict, patriarchal control over the household and relentlessly pursues a way to break the werewolf curse. His old-world authority governs the family's secrets and rituals, and he disapproves of Diana's marriage to Gerald, seeing it as a challenge to his power.

• pa mooney
• patriarch
• family head
• authority
• medical doctor

The movie explores several interconnected themes: Cursed Lineage (the werewolf inheritance), Family Secrets (hidden truths and dangerous rituals), Authority (Pa's patriarchal control vs. individual freedom), and Secret Identity (Diana's hidden immunity and motives). These themes combine to create a story about generational trauma, power struggles, and the question of whether to embrace or escape one's heritage.

• themes
• cursed lineage
• family secrets
• authority
• secret identity
• patriarchal control

The Mooney family operates under rigid hierarchy with Pa at the top, followed by eldest daughter Phoebe who acts as household head. Each family member has a distinct role: Mortimer handles finances, Monica displays sadistic tendencies keeping live rats, and Malcolm is kept isolated due to his animalistic nature. The family maintains a web of secrets and relies on fear to keep members in check, creating a tense and dangerous household.

• mooney family
• family dynamics
• household roles
• siblings
• family structure

Monica Mooney is the younger daughter known for her sadistic tendencies, keeping live rats as pets. Her behavior symbolizes the cruel, uncontrolled impulses that exist within the family. She represents how power can be exercised through fear and cruelty, and her actions underscore the dangerous undercurrents hidden behind the family's polite appearances.

• monica mooney
• sadism
• rats pets
• cruelty
• family pathology

The full moon governs the rhythm of the werewolf curse, driving fear and secrecy throughout the estate. Each month, most family members transform into dangerous beasts, requiring extreme measures to contain them, like keeping Malcolm in a room with live chickens. The moon's cycles create the fundamental tension that shapes the family's entire existence and rituals.

• full moon
• werewolf transformation
• moon cycles
• monthly curse
• lunar cycle

The late Victorian setting influences the story through its blend of emerging medical science and lingering superstition. Pa Mooney's claims of being 180 years old reflect the era's fascination with longevity and medical breakthroughs. The period's strict social hierarchies and gender expectations shape the authority conflicts, particularly between Pa's disapproval of Diana's independent marriage choices and her challenge to family traditions.

• victorian influence
• medical science
• superstition
• social hierarchy
• late 19th century

Diana carries a personal secret about why she is immune to the werewolf curse, a condition that makes her unique in the family. She returns to the estate with her own plans regarding the curse, which may involve breaking it or potentially exploiting it. Her secret identity and hidden agenda create tension as her arrival threatens to reveal hidden truths and change the balance of power within the family.

• diana secret
• hidden agenda
• immunity secret
• motivation
• intentions