Evil of The Rat (Rat King) (2025) Review: Mutant Rats Menace Stranded Travelers

This Evil of The Rat review covers a Chinese action thriller, also known as Rat King, that sends a group of friends into a swarm of mutant rodents. Director Li Bing delivers a throwback creature feature with big ambitions and a modest budget feel. Critics have been sparse, so here is where it lands.

Evil of The Rat Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The Evil of The Rat plot begins simply. Five young people head out for a day trip and find a little girl blocking the road, asking for help. Wanting to save her, they follow the trail into a chemical factory.

Inside, they find themselves in the middle of a catastrophe, with mutated rats attacking humans. The setup is classic monster-movie material: an isolated location, a ticking clock and a group with no easy exit. The film runs 129 minutes, which is long for this kind of story.

The Evil of The Rat release date was 2 January 2025. It is a Mandarin-language production from China, and it sits squarely in the action and thriller space. If you like creature features, our Thriller movie reviews cover similar territory.

What Works in Evil of The Rat

The premise is easy to buy into. A chemical factory is an ideal spot for a mutant-animal outbreak, and the film leans into that old-school logic without apology. It knows what audience it is serving.

The finale is the highlight. One critic at Film Blitz called it ludicrously entertaining, and said it almost rescues the film. A Letterboxd viewer also felt it keeps some of the spirit of the classic creature features.

• A clear, fast-to-grasp setup

• A confined industrial setting with built-in danger

• A wild climax that embraces the silliness

If you want more genre thrills, browse our Action movie reviews for other picks.

Evil of The Rat Cast and Performances

The Evil of The Rat cast is led by Candice Zhao, alongside Dong Yanlei, Jie Zhang, Zhang Cengceng, Zhang Xiner and Du Jianqiao. The group plays friends and companions on the outing, including a reporter, though the available notes do not break down every role.

The cast does what the material asks: run, panic and react. Early reactions suggest the characters themselves are thin. One viewer called them a bunch of weak characters, which fits the sense that people here exist mainly to be chased.

With no award buzz or detailed critical praise for individual performances, expect functional work rather than standout turns. In a movie like this, that is often enough for casual viewing but rarely memorable.

Where Evil of The Rat Stumbles

The biggest complaint is familiarity. Film Blitz gave the movie a C and called most of it painfully formulaic. If you have seen a handful of creature features, you can likely predict the rhythm of the story.

Character writing is the next weak point. When the people on screen are sketches, the danger loses weight, and viewers have less reason to care who makes it out. One reviewer called the film pretty silly, which sums up the tone when the mutant rat king arrives.

The 129-minute runtime also works against it. Most films in this subgenre are leaner, and pacing can sag between attack scenes. Audience scores are sparse and mixed, so treat any numbers cautiously.

Is Evil of The Rat Worth Watching?

It is worth a look if you love B-movie monster thrillers, but not if you want something fresh. Reception is mixed at best, with a lively ending trying to rescue a formulaic road to get there.

The film is not trying to reinvent anything. It wants to deliver rats, panic and a ridiculous showdown, and for patient fans that can be enough. Casual viewers may find the length and thin characters tiring.

If you are curious, check which service carries it in your region before you commit. We also have Horror movie reviews if you want similar scares. For background, see the Evil of the Rat page on TMDB.

Who Will Enjoy Evil of The Rat

• Fans of mutant-animal and creature-feature B-movies

• Viewers who enjoy a silly, over-the-top finale

• Anyone exploring Chinese genre cinema beyond the usual blockbusters