

Ratcatcher
James Gillespie is 12 years old. The world he knew is changing. Haunted by a secret, he has become a stranger in his own family. He is drawn to the canal where he creates a world of his own. He finds an awkward tenderness with Margaret Anne, a vulnerable 14 year old expressing a need for love in all the wrong ways, and befriends Kenny, who possesses an unusual innocence in spite of the harsh surroundings.
TMDB
7.1/10
254 votes
IMDb
Not rated yet
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- Status
- Released
- Budget
- —
- Box office
- —
- Language
- English
- scotland
- glasgow, scotland
- 1970s
- neighbor
- canal
- woman director
- escapism
Top billed cast

Behind the camera
Where to watch
All optionsAvailability for United States. Provided by JustWatch through the TMDB API.
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Videos
Release dates
United StatesUS
- Theatrical (limited)NRNew York City, New York13 Oct 2000
- PremiereNew York Film Festival (4K Restoration)25 Sept 2021
- Theatrical (limited)Lincoln Center (4K Restoration)22 Oct 2021
- PremierePhiladelphia Film Festival (4K Restoration)26 Oct 2021
United KingdomGB
- Theatrical1512 Nov 1999
AustraliaAU
- Theatrical (limited)British Film Festival11 Nov 2024
CanadaCA
- PremiereToronto International Film Festival10 Sept 1999
FranceFR
- PremiereCannes Film Festival13 May 1999
NetherlandsNL
- Theatrical627 Apr 2000
- Physical6DVD28 Nov 2000
- TV6Nederland 320 Dec 2002
Frequently asked questions
Ratcatcher was released on 12 November 1999.
Audience reviews
1- C7/10
CinemaSerf
4/13/2024
It was quite odd watching this because I was just a little younger than the character of "James" (William Eadie) living in Glasgow in the 1970s. I remember the nine-week long dustmen strike that left tons of rubbish piled up all over the place. We lived in a mouse-infested one bed flat similar to the ones in the tenement buildings featured here, and that canal - well it was an overgrown, disease-ridden, deathtrap tha…
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