A shy individual who prefers solitude develops a bond with rodents inhabiting the grounds of his mother’s aging estate and then enlists their aid to retaliate against an overbearing employer (Ernest Borgnine) who took control of the family business. Sondra Locke appears in an early part of her career as a fellow employee. "Willard" (1971) presents a peculiar, understated examination of a timid man, incorporating subtle horror elements and touches of dark comedy; it possesses a strange atmosphere that suggests the madness inherent in existence. Surprisingly, it achieved moderate success when released, ranking as the twelfth highest-grossing film of 1971, surpassing films such as “Escape from the Planet of the Apes,” “Shaft,” “Play Misty for Me,” “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” I find this remarkable because it’s a small, bizarre, somber film with limited importance, though not entirely without appeal. The primary rats are rather endearing, for example. It's also pleasant to see Locke before her collaborations with Eastwood. She was romantically involved with Davison during filming, but their relationship wasn’t publicized due to her marriage to a man she had known since high school. He was understanding of the situation; he is gay. The film has a running time of 1 hour and 35 minutes and was filmed in Los Angeles. GRADE: B-

Source on TMDB