Rats: Night of Terror Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Rats: Night of Terror Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 18, 2025

Bruno Mattei's "Rats: Night of Terror" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with Bruno Mattei; various cast and crew interviews; documentary with co-writer/co-director Claudio Fragasso; vintage trailer; exclusive music video; and more. In English or Italian, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

Any discussion of Italian copycats that does not mention Bruno Mattei and his body of work cannot be taken seriously. Mattei was the most fearless among Italian directors who made these types of genre films, and on top of that, he did not hesitate to copy notorious Italian films. Mattei was very, very efficient, too. He shot and edited quickly, and if necessary, he would also make fast screenplay corrections. Italian producers liked him a lot because he made cheap films, which were the overwhelming majority they reached out to him for, look like well-funded films.

Rats: Night of Terror is part of a trend that began in the late 1970s and ended in the early 1990s. This trend delivered a variety of post-apocalyptic films, virtually all mixing action and horror, quite a few of which were shot by Italian directors and are now considered cult films. Not a single one of Mattei’s genre films enjoys such a reputation, but they are amongst the most entertaining.

Hundreds of years after Armageddon, a gang of bikers enters a desolated metropolis, likely one of America’s biggest cities. Shortly after, the bikers discover an abandoned research center with an underground food bank, stocked with untouched supplies and drinking water. However, while celebrating their monumental jackpot, the bikers realize that they are surrounded by thousands of mutated, shockingly intelligent, and violent rats. Before they can get back out on the streets with some of the supplies and water from the food bank, the bikers become moving targets for the rats.

That Rats: Night of Terror is packed with cheesy action and awful lines is hardly surprising because these were two of the three key elements of the genre films Mattei shot. (The third element was skin). Also, it is not surprising that all actors hired to work with Mattei had their original Italian names replaced by cool-sounding American aliases. It is also not surprising that the English track, a pretty awful dub, that Rats: Night of Terror has been presented with over the years, is vastly superior to the original Italian track. This is how ninety-nine percent of all Italian copycats, not just Mattei’s genre films, were made at the time.

But as bad as all of this may sound, it is undoubtedly what makes Rats: Night of Terror a genre film worth checking out. Here’s why:

Virtually all Italian copycats were loaded with raw enthusiasm that disappeared from genre films, and not just Italian genre films, decades ago, and in Rats: Night of Terror, its significance is maxed out. It is what makes up for the lack of talent, the average special effects, and even some of Mattei’s mediocre direction. It is what makes viewing Rats: Night of Terror a hugely entertaining experience, too. The awful, the silly, the ridiculous, and the hilarious are so over the top that a lot begins to look borderline brilliant.

The ultimate surprise, however, is that the mish-mash of ‘borrowed’ ideas – a knowledgeable film aficionado will easily recognize that the screenplay borrows from such cult films as Night of the Living Dead, The Omega Man, and Soylent Green -- eventually produces a genuine, very effective curveball as well. Then again, the best of Mattei’s bad films always have one.

Mattei used the services of cinematographer Franco Delli Colli, who worked on such classic films and cult films as Rocco and His Brothers and Highway Racer.

Rats: Night of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Rats: Night of Terror arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films.

The release introduces a new 4K restoration of Rats: Night of Terror sourced from the original camera negative. The 4K restoration is also made available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack release.

A note from Severin Films informs that the original camera negative was not in great condition because chemical decomposition and other anomalies had caused serious damage. Because of the severity of this damage, some surface imperfections were only minimized and left in, which I thought was the right decision since everything else looks great. I believe that a secondary, healthier element would not have produced the same quality. (You can see an example of the deterioration in our review of the combo pack release, linked above). On Blu-ray, Rats: Night of Terror looks gorgeous now. In fact, I liked what I saw on my system so much that I did not feel the need to perform any comparisons with the previous presentation of the film on this Blu-ray release, produced by Blue Underground in 2014. Delineation, clarity, depth, and color reproduction all look dramatically better now. As a result, the entire film has a very attractive organic appearance. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Rats: Night of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH (for the English track) and English (for the Italian track) subtitles are provided.

I viewed Rats: Night of Terror on 4K Blu-ray and then spent time with its 1080p presentation on the Blu-ray. The comments below are from our review of the combo pack.

I viewed the entire film with the English track, which should be considered the original track. Unsurprisingly, it features plenty of rather hilarious overdubbing, some of which is a bit uneven. However, this is a common limitation on such tracks. I would describe the dynamic strength of the track as very good, but even the action footage is unlikely to impress folks who are used to the potency of modern lossless tracks mixed for big-budget Hollywood productions. The upper register is healthy.

Rats: Night of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Mad Rats: The Making of a Cult - in this program, co-writer/co-director Claudio Fragasso recalls his first encounter with Bruno Mattei and initial impressions of his working methods, and discusses their collaboration on Rats: Night of Terror. Also included are clips from interviews with still photographer and assistant director Giovanni Leacche, actor and stuntman Massimo Vanni, and actor Jean-Christophe Bretigniere, amongst others. The program was produced by Eugenio Ercolani. In Italian and French, with English subtitles. (56 min).

• Of Rats and Men - in this archival program, Bruno Mattei discusses the production of Rats: Night of Terror and the intent to make it look similar to Night of the Living Dead. Also, there are some very interesting comments about the real rats that were used in the film. In Italian, with English subtitles. (8 min).

• Richard and the Rats - in this program, actor Ottaviano Dell'acqua discusses his acting career and contribution to Rats: Night of Terror, which offered him the only lead part he did over the years. Dell'acqua also comments on some of the special effects in the film. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• Chocolate and Rats - in this program, actress Geretta Geretta recalls what it was like to work with Bruno Mattei and her co-stars during the shooting of Rats: Night of Terror. Geretta also recalls how a few very unpleasant bits from the film, featuring live rats, were shot. In English, not subtitled. (13 min).

• Last Rat Standing - in this program, actor Gianni Franco reveals how he was cast to play his character in Rats: Night of Terror and recalls his work with Bruno Mattei and his co-stars. Franco also comments on the overdubbing that was done after the film was completed, and specifically that the great Roberto Chevalier was tasked to do the overdubbing of his character in the Italian version of the film. In Italian, with English subtitles. (13 min).

• Rats Dance - in this program, composer Luigi Ceccarelli recalls the exact moment when he was asked to score Rats: Night of Terror. However, Ceccarelli confesses that he does not remember much about the work he did on the film. In Italian, with English subtitles. (10 min).

• Bruno and Claudio, I Knew Them Well - in this program, executive producer Roberto Di Girolamo discusses his professional relationship with Bruno Mattei and the type of low-budget genre films both of them liked to be involved with. Di Girolamo also explains why these films, including Rats: Night of Terror, continue to sell well today, and quickly comments on Mattei's professional relationship with Claudio Fragasso. In Italian, with English subtitles. (14 min).

• Bonded By Blood - a retrospective making-of program for Hell of the Living Dead and Rats: Night of Terror. Featuring Claudio Fragasso, actress Rossella Drudi, actress Margit Evelyn Newton, and studio owner Daniele Taddei, amongst others. In Italian, with English subtitles. (51 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a remastered original international trailer for Rats: Night of Terror. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• "Under the Black Sky" - this new music video was produced by Severin's David Gregory for the Pornographie Exclusive music project "One-Way Ticket to The Other Side". It features actress Geretta Geretta, who has a major part in Rats: Night of Terror. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art for Rats: Night of Terror.

Rats: Night of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Some of the most entertaining low-budget Italian copycats display Bruno Mattei's name, and Rats: Night of Terror is one of them. Knowledgeable film aficionados will quickly recognize where Rats: Night of Terror borrows from, but I think that its finale is going to surprise many of them. Severin's Blu-ray release introduces a new 4K restoration, which was not easy to prepare because the original camera negative that was accessed for it had suffered serious damage. Even though it is not flawless, I like the 4K restoration a lot and think that the party that was in charge of it made all the right calls. A fantastic selection of new and archival bonus features is included with it as well. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.