--- title: "Ratcatcher: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/ratcatcher/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/ratcatcher" critics_score: 82 critics_reviews: 15 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Ratcatcher (1999): what the critics said Critics' score 82 from 15 reviews: 15 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The reviews are unanimous in their approval of Lynne Ramsay’s first feature, and most of them reach for the same word: poetic. Critics agree that the film finds beauty on a rundown Glasgow estate during the 1973 bin strike, seen through the eyes of a guilt-ridden boy, and that it does so without sentiment. The praise clusters on Ramsay’s eye for light, colour and the textures of everyday things, on the naturalistic performances from a young and largely non-professional cast, William Eadie’s in particular, and on the flashes of dry humour that stop the bleakness becoming a wallow. The spread is narrow. The cooler notices, several of them written from festival screenings in 1999, admire the visual style and the light touch but stop short of calling it a major work. Sight and Sound goes furthest, finding the plot contrived in places and some of the relationships between characters underdeveloped. Nobody disputes that a distinctive director has arrived. ## Empire — Trevor Lewis Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic calls Ratcatcher one of the finest recent British films about childhood, praising its raw authenticity, naturalistic young cast, quirky humour and sparingly used lyricism amid the bleakness. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/ratcatcher-review/) ## IndieWire Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 6 April 2000. Festival review. The film offers a sublime portrait of youth where childhood stinks yet transcends its grim circumstances in 1970s Glasgow. It captures the contrast of filth and fantasy through a child's perspective during a waste collectors' strike. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/ndnf-review-childhood-stinks-and-transcends-ratcatchers-sublime-portrait-of-youth-81709/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2000. Ramsay’s exquisite feature debut combines social consciousness with remarkable visual imagination and poetic images, creating a new kind of magical realism. It stands out for its unhurried artistry and unblinking assurance in depicting a bleak Glasgow childhood. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-nov-01-ca-45028-story.html) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 November 1999. The critic calls Ratcatcher a stunning and spellbinding feature debut that makes one proud of British cinema again. He singles out its hyper-real, poetic rendering of a child's tactile perception of everyday textures and light amid the grim setting of the Glasgow bin strike. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/1999/nov/12/5) ## The New York Times — Elvis Mitchell Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 13 October 2000. The brilliant directorial debut of Lynne Ramsay is a gorgeous blend of beauty and squalor, packed with imagery that lingers. It follows a guilt-ridden 12-year-old boy in a rat-infested Glasgow during a garbage strike. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/13/movies/film-review-for-a-glasgow-boy-rats-are-just-the-beginning.html) ## The Times — Ed Potton Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 April 2024. The critic praises Lynne Ramsay’s debut as an extraordinary lyrical work about a boy processing guilt on a rundown Glasgow estate in 1973, highlighting its hypnotic style and the standout acting debut of William Eadie. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/ratcatcher-1999-review-lynne-ramsays-debut-is-extraordinary-sdbbhbvsq) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. Ramsay's assured debut is praised for its bold visual sense, droll wit and tender but unsentimental portrayal of characters in a poetic brand of gritty realism, making it one of the most impressive first features by a British director in years. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/ratcatcher) ## Slant Magazine — Derek Smith Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 23 October 2021. The critic praises the film's poetic depiction of poverty and human tenderness amid despair in 1970s Glasgow, highlighting small moments of beauty and hope. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/ratcatcher-blu-ray-review-lynne-ramsay-criterion/) ## Little White Lies — Kambole Campbell Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 March 2018. The critic describes Ratcatcher as Ramsay’s first feature-length film, following a young Glaswegian boy named James after the death of his friend Ryan. With scarce dialogue and a subtle central performance, Ramsay lets the camera communicate James’ emotions through disconnected, dreamlike images of guilt and grief, while noting small moments of hope like a housing development, a friendship, or a rat tied to a balloon. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/if-you-like/the-films-of-lynne-ramsay-ratcatcher-we-need-to-talk-about-kevin) ## Sight and Sound — Charlotte O'Sullivan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds the film engaging overall for its painterly portrait of childhood and rich textures but notes that the plot feels contrived in places and some character relationships are underdeveloped. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/243) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 September 2002. Ramsay's debut is distinguished by its lyrical passages that contrast the grim urban squalor and family dysfunction, offering a richer view of childhood through the eyes of a guilt-ridden Glasgow boy amid a garbage strike. It avoids pure misery by balancing tragedy with moments of humor, tenderness, and offhand beauty inspired by Malick. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/ratcatcher-1798197834) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 August 1999. Festival review. The critic highlights Ramsay's offbeat, lyrical and impressionistic style in depicting a guilt-ridden boy's coming-of-age during a 1970s Glasgow dustmen's strike, praising the natural performances from non-professional child actors and moments of tenderness and humour. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/first-night-a-grownup-vision-of-growing-up-1113094.html) ## Variety — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 1999. Festival review. Ramsay establishes herself as a resonant new voice with her first feature, balancing the bleak working-class milieu with odd lyrical moments, unexpected humor and tenderness. The film merits attention for its light touch and distinctive visual style. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/ratcatcher-1117499750/) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 19 January 2001. The critic praises Ramsay's debut for its honesty and artistic sensibility, likening it to Bill Douglas's work. She singles out the film's poetic exploration of pain, human touch amid deprivation, and remarkable work with the child actors. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/ratcatcher-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) ## Collider — Cathal McGuinness Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 12 March 2025. The critic praises Ratcatcher as one of the most artful, bleak, and heartbreaking Scottish films, highlighting Lynne Ramsay's emergence as an exciting directorial talent with a singular vision. They single out the film's visual lyricism, poetic use of color contrasts, light, reflections, and dreamlike qualities that elevate its portrayal of poverty and childhood guilt. [Read the review](https://collider.com/ratcatcher-scottish-drama/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/ratcatcher.md