What are the main themes of Ben?

The summary picks out 3 themes: Friendship, Violence and Survival and Family and Loyalty.

Ben (1972) was directed by Phil Karlson and runs 1 hour 34 minutes.

Ben (1972) Plot Summary & Timeline | What's After the Movie

Q: Who are the main characters in Ben?

The story follows Danny Garrison (Lee Montgomery) (played by Lee Montgomery), Eve Garrison (played by Meredith Baxter), Beth Garrison (played by Rosemary Murphy) and Ben (the rat); the character guide covers 5 characters in all.

No spoilers

What Is Ben About?

The premise of Ben in 258 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.

In the shadow‑streaked streets of a small town still trembling from the chaos that once erupted in the Stiles house, a new uneasy balance emerges. Ben, a sleek, intelligent rat who survived the earlier blood‑soaked showdown, slips through the sewers and re‑establishes his colony beneath the city’s humming surface. The world feels claustrophobic and gritty, a place where the ordinary—grocers, schools, quiet homes—holds a hidden, restless undercurrent that watches from the walls and pipes.

Above ground, the film follows Danny Garrison, a shy boy whose fragile heart forces him to live with a quiet intensity. He shares a cramped house with his protective sister, Eve, and his steadfast mother, Beth, each trying to shield him from the world’s harsher edges. Danny’s loneliness is palpable, and his fascination with marionettes and music creates a tender, almost magical refuge. When he first encounters Ben in the dim work‑shed, an unlikely friendship blossoms, charged with a mixture of wonder and an unspoken need for connection.

The tone oscillates between eerie suspense and bittersweet companionship, using muted lighting and a steady, low‑key soundtrack to keep the audience hovering between curiosity and unease. As the town’s everyday rhythms continue, the presence of Ben’s growing colony adds a subtle, creeping dread, suggesting that the line between friend and predator may soon blur. Both Danny and Ben find themselves caught in a fragile stalemate, each offering the other a chance at redemption while confronting the unsettling reality that loyalty can be as fragile as the walls that separate the world above from the darkness below.

Full plot

What Happens in Ben?

The complete story of Ben, from the first scene to the last, in 422 words (about 2 minutes). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 4 cast member pages.

Spoilers ahead

The movie opens with a recap of the ending of the first film, where Willard Stiles is killed by his rats after he tries to kill them and Ben. Police arrive at the Stiles house; two officers stay behind, and one is attacked and killed by the rats while the other finds Willard’s body. Detective Clift Kirtland, Joseph Campanella, orders an exterminator to wipe out the rat population, but Ben overhears the plan and warns the rest of the colony. With a quiet, stubborn resolve, Ben and the other rats slip away into the sewer, seeking safety beneath the city.

A lonely boy named Danny Garrison, Lee Montgomery, who has a severe heart condition, lives with his sister Eve Garrison, Meredith Baxter, and his mother Beth Garrison, Rosemary Murphy. Danny meets Ben while he’s playing with marionettes in his workshed, and the rat leader quickly becomes the boy’s best friend. That same day, Ben and the rats crash a food truck, forcing the driver to crash and killing another driver, an event that foreshadows the escalating danger to the neighborhood. Later, Danny plays a tune he composed on the piano for Ben, a small moment of connection that underscores the unusual bond forming between human and animal.

As night falls, Ben’s colony spreads through the town in a determined hunt for food, invading a grocery store and leaving destruction in its wake. Police officers and detectives step up their efforts, using poison and traps to try to quell the rat menace, while Danny warns Ben about the traps and the risk they pose. A bully at school tries to torment Danny, only to be confronted by Ben and the other rats, who bite him in the legs and drive him away. The bully returns with his mother and the police, and Danny leads them to the workshed, presenting a marionette that resembles Ben as a plea for mercy. The visitors leave, unsettled by the strange friendship between boy and rat.

Yet the situation continues to deteriorate as Ben’s colony grows more violent in its search for sustenance, and several people lose their lives in the chaos. The police eventually descend into the sewers and unleash flamethrowers and shotguns in an effort to wipe out the rats, trapping the creatures underground. Ben somehow survives the brutal assault and crawls back to Danny, wounded but alive. In the aftermath, a tearful Danny tends to his injured friend, his resolve strengthened by the near-loss of his closest companion and his vow not to let go.

Timeline

Ben Timeline: Every Key Event in Order

14 key events in the order they happen, from “Willard's death and the rats' revenge” to “Reunion and resolve”. 14 events name a place, across 11 locations.

1

Willard's death and the rats' revenge

The film opens with a flashback recap: Willard Stiles is killed by his own rats after attempting to kill them and Ben. Police arrive at the scene and find Willard dead, setting the stage for the rat menace.

When:Flashback/recap Where:Stiles residence
2

First police casualties

Two officers stay at the Stiles house; one is attacked and killed by the rats, while the other finds Willard's body. The chaotic scene foreshadows the danger the rats pose to the city.

When:Night Where:Stiles residence
3

Detective orders extermination

Detective Clift Kirtland orders an exterminator to kill the rats. His plan marks the beginning of formal attempts to eradicate the infestation.

When:Day Where:Police station
4

Rats retreat to the sewer

Ben hears about the extermination efforts and informs the other rats. The rat colony retreats into the city’s sewer system to avoid traps and poison.

When:Night Where:City sewers
5

Danny meets Ben

Danny Garrison, a lonely boy with a severe heart condition, befriends Ben in his workshed. Ben becomes Danny's best friend and protector.

When:Day Where:Danny's workshed
6

Rats strike the food truck

That night, Ben and the rat colony attack a food truck, causing the driver to crash and another driver to die. The incident shows the rats' growing ferocity as they scavenge for food.

When:Night Where:Food truck area
7

Danny plays a song for Ben

The next day, Danny sits at the piano and plays a song he created for Ben. The moment highlights their bond and Danny's trust in his unusual friend.

When:Evening Where:Danny's home
8

Grocery store invasion

Ben leads the rats in an invasion of a grocery store, destroying shelves and products. The raid demonstrates the colony's increasing reach and threat to the neighborhood.

When:Night Where:Grocery store
9

Police escalate with traps and poison

Police and detectives intensify efforts to kill the rats with poison and traps throughout the neighborhood. Danny warns Ben about the traps, signaling the dangerous game between humans and rats.

When:Day Where:Neighborhood streets
10

The bully confrontation

A local bully harasses Danny, and Ben and the rats bite him in the legs, forcing him to run away. The bully returns later with his mother and the police, escalating the confrontation.

When:Evening Where:Nearby streets

Show the other 4 events of Ben

11

A confrontation at the workshed

The police demand to see Ben, so Danny brings them to the workshed and presents a marionette that resembles Ben. The ruse ends with the bully and his mother leaving the workshed.

When:Evening Where:Danny's workshed
12

Rats grow more violent

Ben's colony grows more violent in its search for food, and several people die as the rats expand their raids. The city experiences mounting fear as resources dwindle.

When:Days Where:City streets and sewer approaches
13

The sewer slaughter

The police pursue the rats into the sewers, sealing the tunnels and killing many with flamethrowers and shotguns. Ben manages to survive the slaughter, returning to Danny wounded but alive.

When:Night Where:Sewers
14

Reunion and resolve

Danny tends to the injured Ben in a tearful reunion, determined not to lose his best friend. The moment reaffirms their bond and sets a hopeful, if bittersweet, tone for their future.

When:Evening Where:Danny's home

Characters

Who Are the Main Characters in Ben?

5 characters, among them Danny Garrison (Lee Montgomery), Eve Garrison and Beth Garrison: who each one is and the part they play in the story. 4 of them link to the actor’s page.

Danny Garrison (Lee Montgomery)

Played by Lee Montgomery

A lonely boy with a severe heart condition who befriends Ben. He is imaginative, gentle, and determined to protect his new friend, often using marionettes to express his feelings and communicate with Ben.
- 👦 Boy
- ❤️ Heart condition
- 🧩 Imagination
- 🤝 Friendship
Eve Garrison

Played by Meredith Baxter

Danny's sister, a supportive presence in his life. She helps navigate the fear and danger surrounding the rat outbreak and provides a family anchor as events spiral out of control.
- 👧 Sister
- 🏡 Family
- 💪 Support
BG
Beth Garrison

Played by Rosemary Murphy

Danny and Eve's mother, who cares for her ill son and attempts to keep the family safe as the situation with the rats worsens.
- 👩 Mother
- 🏠 Family
- ❤️ Concern
B(
Ben (the rat)

The intelligent, loyal rat who befriends Danny and leads the colony in seeking food. Ben's presence brings warmth to Danny's life but also triggers brutal consequences as the rats become threatening.
- 🐀 Animal
- 💡 Intelligence
- 🤝 Friendship
CK
Cliff Kirtland

Played by Joseph Campanella

A police detective who orders extermination of the rats and becomes a central figure in the conflict, symbolizing authority clashing with compassion.
- 👮 Detective
- ⚖️ Authority

Setting

Where and When Is Ben Set?

Ben is set in Danny's Workshed, Suburban Neighborhood, City Sewers, Local Grocery District… (Early 1970s). Here is why the time and place matter to the story.

When

Early 1970s

The events take place in a contemporary era of suburban life, with police procedures and urban hazards typical of that period. The presence of aging extermination methods and police activity suggests a 1970s setting. The overall mood and production style align with early 1970s horror, reflecting the era's anxieties.

Where

Danny's Workshed, Suburban Neighborhood, City Sewers, Local Grocery District, Food Truck Route

The story unfolds across a quiet suburban backdrop centered on a boy's workshed where he befriends a rat. The neighborhood becomes a stage for escalating violence as the rats raid a grocery store and a food truck. The sewers serve as a hidden artery through which the rat colony moves and where the final confrontation occurs.

🏡 Suburban setting
🌆 Urban danger
🕳️ Sewers and tunnels
🏪 Local commerce area

Themes

What Are the Themes of Ben?

3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Friendship, Violence and Survival and Family and Loyalty.

01

Friendship

Danny forms a deep bond with Ben, a rat, seeing him as a companion and helper. The relationship shows how trust and kindness can cross species boundaries. Ben's actions—protecting and assisting Danny—underscore the power of friendship in the face of loneliness and danger.
02

Violence and Survival

As Ben's colony grows desperate for food, violence escalates from raids to deadly confrontations. The police response with traps, flamethrowers, and shotguns demonstrates how fear can drive brutal measures. The story explores what is required to survive in a hostile environment.
03

Family and Loyalty

Danny's family life, especially his bond with his sister Eve and mother Beth, grounds the story in care amid danger. Danny's loyalty to Ben challenges the boundaries between human and animal, and his protective tenderness contrasts with the community's demand for extermination.

Tone & mood

What Kind of Film Is Ben?

Tense in tone, with steady pacing and a straightforward story, going by the plot summary.

Tone: Tense
Pacing: Steady
Story: Straightforward
Intensity: High
Ending: Bittersweet

A tense and often gruesome horror thriller that builds suspense around the dangerous bond between a lonely, sick boy and the intelligent, murderous rat he calls his only friend, set against a backdrop of escalating town-wide terror.

tense
lonely
suspenseful
dangerous
dark
anxious
unlikely friendship
animal horror
bullying
loneliness

Content notes: animal attack, graphic violence, child endangerment, bullying.

Where to watch

Where to Watch Ben

Stream it on Amazon MX Player and Amazon Prime Video, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.