A Fun But Dizzying Experience
November kicks off with an array of streaming options under different genres. For any fans of the Witcher franchise, this may come as an unexpected release. If you are not a fan of the franchise, this film might get you started out of sheer curiosity. Simply put, the The Rats: A Witcher Tale was a ride to watch, but is it good? Here’s what to know:
Who are the Rats in the Witcher Franchise?
The Rats are a young gang of outlaws from The Witcher universe, first seen in Andrzej Sapkowski’s Time of Contempt. They’re a flashy bunch—obsessed with bright clothes, shiny trinkets, fine horses, and sharp swords.
Based in Geso, they make their living by robbing the rich, not to help anyone else but to feed their own taste for luxury. Their confidence, though, often quickly turns to recklessness.
What’s Their Story in This Film?
The Rats: A Witcher Tale follows the crew as they set their sights on a dangerous heist—the treasury of a brutal fighting arena run by Dominik Houvenaghel. To pull it off, they team up with Brehen, a rough-around-the-edges Witcher from the School of the Cat.
Things don’t go as planned, of course. Between betrayals, tough choices, and bloody chaos, the Rats learn just how harsh life can be on the war-torn Continent—all while laying the groundwork for what’s to come in The Witcher Season 4.
What Makes it Good?
One of the highlights of the film is the cinematography and the costume design. A notable point for many works in the Witcher franchise as it immerses the viewer in their world. Aside from the visuals, the general heist and supernatural concepts were rather fascinating.
Literally a minute into the film and you are dragged into this fascinating mystery you have to figure out as the story goes along. On a minor end, the action is solid and the characters bounce off each other well enough.
What Made it Hard to Watch?
The biggest flaw of the film was its pacing, did it hook me in the first few minutes? Yes, but at the same time it felt like it was all over the place and only a few strands of cohesive plot mixed in.
Furthermore it could have done better in establishing the connections of the characters overall rather than a few of them at a time. I feel like it was only in the final half of the film that things really hit off.
What’s the Verdict?
The Rats: A Witcher Tale has sparked some pretty mixed reactions from fans. With an average user rating hovering around 4.5/10, opinions swing from pleasantly surprised to downright brutal. Some viewers called it a fun, low-stakes side story that’s “better than expected,” praising its music, smaller scope, and appearance from a Witcher character.
Others, though, weren’t impressed—criticizing the casting, writing, and what they saw as another misstep for Netflix’s Witcher universe. A few fans appreciated its effort to expand the world without overcomplicating things, while others felt it completely missed the spirit of Sapkowski’s stories.
Personally? It was indeed a dizzying ride but worth watching again just to see what I may have missed. Rating wise I would give a 5/10 for the mess it presented but give it grace for the visuals and interest it sparked.
