Bart Hughes (Peter Weller, in a likable, creditable starring debut) is a Manhattan yuppie who lives in a nice, re-furbished brownstone. As wife Meg (the gorgeous Shannon Tweed, in her feature film debut) and son Peter leave to spend some time with her father, Barts' orderly, structured life takes a turn for the worse, and at a very inopportune time, as a major project is going down at work. A relentless and seemingly indestructible rat has invaded his domicile and makes his life a living hell.<br /><br />While this effective little tale delivers the good shocks and suspense required for a tried-and-true horror story, it operates on more than one level, as it equates Barts' drive for success in his professional life with his need to prove his superiority to this upstart rodent. He ultimately will have to get in touch with his inner primitive nature in order to come out on top. Not only that, he has to struggle to hold on to his sanity as the rat seems to be making all the better moves.<br /><br />Underscored by Ken Wannbergs' solid and spooky music, the film features some great animal action. Lots of repellent closeups of the rodent performers helps to maintain the creepiness factor of the picture, and there are some great sequences as the rat runs amok throughout the place (the moment when the infernal thing pops up out of the toilet was a fantastically orchestrated shock!). Director George P. Cosmatos keeps the tension at a high level and the action moving at a steady pace.<br /><br />Weller anchors the film nicely with his believable performance, ably supported by such fine actors as Lawrence Dane, Kenneth Welsh, Louis Del Grande, Jennifer Dale, and Maury Chaykin.<br /><br />Filmed in Montreal, filling in adequately for New York City, with an intelligent script by Brian Taggert based on the novel "The Visitor" by Chauncey G. Parker III.<br /><br />8/10