Since we’ve been huddling together in caves, rats have gotten a bad rap. Murophobia, the fear of mice and rats, is one of the most common phobias in the world. Their cultural significance as carriers of disease and creators of famine has made them monsters in horror fiction.

Real-life rats are actually pretty helpful to humans. They’re great for scientific experimentation because their social structures are so similar to ours. They’re excellent pets for children, as they’re clean and rarely bite. Some species are being used to sniff out landmines and detect Tuberculosis.

So what makes rats scary, exactly? They have sharp teeth, sharp nails, and can carry diseases. They live where we live, and it’s common for humans to exist around rats (and vice-versa) without the humans ever being the wiser. They’re everywhere, they outnumber us, and that’s what makes them such a terrifying threat in horror cinema.

To celebrate Shout Factory’s Blu-ray release of Willard, we’re taking a look at eight of horror’s most reviled rats.

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8. The Rodentz of Altered Species/Rodentz (2001)

Altered Species is schlocky low-budget horror, but it does feature some fabulous furry villains. In the film, also called Rodentz in some regions, a science experiment to create a cancer cure instead turns its test subjects – three lab rats – into mutant monsters that can regenerate. The rats, including one who is now the size of a dumpster, go on a rampage. Each of the rats has a different reaction to their version of the “cure” and is its own unique monster. Altered Species is no Citizen Kane, but if you’re looking for killer rats and science gone wrong, this is the ticket.

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7. The Rats of The Rats (2002)

Mädchen Amick (Twin Peaks) stars in this made-for-TV horror flick about rats who attack and take over a department store in Manhattan. Directed by John Lafia (the guy who wrote the original Child’s Play!), The Rats features massive hordes of rats wreaking havoc on anything and everything they touch. There are tons of typical trashy TV movie tropes to be had here, including a bit of nudity and some very silly gore.

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6. The Horde of The Pit and the Pendulum (1913)

One of the most notorious horror stories about rats is Edgar Allan Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum, in which a man tortured by the Inquisition is saved when rats chew through his bindings. Many of the film adaptations of the story omit this part, but the 1913 version directed and produced by French filmmaker Alice Guy-Blaché featured a whole horde of live rats for its finale. Unfortunately, the rats were killed after the film wrapped, but the treatment of animals in cinema has improved in the century since.

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5. Nicodemus and Jenner – The Secret of NIMH (1982)

While The Secret of NIMH isn’t exactly a horror movie, it has given enough children nightmares to qualify. This Don Bluth classic animated feature, about a mouse who must face incredible challenges to save her family, has more than its share of scary moments. It also has lots of rats, including wise old wizard rat Nicodemus (Derek Jacobi) and the villainous Jenner (Paul Shenar). Despite Jenner being the movie’s “big bad”, it’s really humans who cause fear and suffering among their four-legged neighbors.

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4. The Giant Rats – The Food of the Gods (1976)

If you’re looking for horror flick with rodents of unusual size, look no further than 1976’s The Food of the Gods. Based on an H.G. Wells story and directed by Bert I. Gordon, this film depicts a group of people on vacation who stumble across an island of giant animals. They are attacked by giant wasps, worms, and more before they meet the truly nasty natives – the giant rats. Utilizing rat costumes, animatronics, and some comical camera tricks, this violent, ridiculous film is one for the ages.

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3. One Rascally Rodent – Of Unknown Origin (1983)

Of Unknown Origin pits Robocop against rat. Directed by George P. Cosmatos (father of Mandy’s Panos Cosmatos), this 1983 horror film stars Peter Weller as a man who becomes obsessed with killing a single rat living in his brownstone. When his wife and son leave for vacation, Weller’s character tries to work on a project for a promotion and renovate his home. A rat living in his basement decides to create a little mischief, and the homeowner nearly destroys everything trying to kill the rat. Imagine Mouse Hunt (1997) meets Arachnophobia (1990) and you’re on the right track.

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2. Socrates – Willard (1971 and 2003)

In both versions of Willard, the titular character is a lonely and awkward man trying to improve his life. He befriends a little white rat that he names Socrates for its intelligence. Socrates is the closest thing to a hero in Willard, offering Willard comfort and friendship. He destroys a bit of property but never hurts a living creature. Socrates is a good rat, and it isn’t shocking that his death at the hands of Willard’s cruel boss is what sends Willard into a murderous spiral.

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1. Ben – Willard and Ben (1972)

Ben is easily the scariest rat to have ever graced the silver screen. He’s a huge rat, portrayed by a Gambian Pouched Rat in the 2003 version of Willard. Ben is as smart as Socrates but a whole lot more ruthless. He initially seems to want Willard’s affection, or at least similar treatment to Socrates. When Willard rejects him, however, Ben helps orchestrate Socrates’ death and the torrent of violence that Willard’s rats inflict in his name. Not only does Ben get the better of Willard, he goes on to have a sequel devoted entirely to his horrifying friendship with a lonely little boy. As brilliant as he is brutal, Ben is a rat icon. Name another rat with a Michael Jackson song written about him. We’ll wait.