The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here!

In England at the turn of the century, the reclusive Mooney family lives in their country estate, where their eccentric behavior frightens the local villagers. One afternoon, two hooligans attack Malcolm Mooney, the most deranged member of the family. Mortimer and Phoebe, Malcolm's older siblings, rescue Malcolm and, after returning him to his chains, tend to his injuries. Phoebe blames Malcolm's escape on their younger sister, the sadistic, spoiled Monica. When Phoebe pleads with their father, Papa Mooney, who although an invalid is a stern patriarch, to reprimand Monica, Papa grows so angry that he collapses and Phoebe must administer one of his live-saving injections. Phoebe discusses Papa with Mortimer, then muses about the upcoming arrival of their youngest sister, Diana, and her new husband, Gerald, whom they have not met. Papa, a former doctor, is furious about Diana's marriage, as he had sent her to medical school in Scotland so that she would be able to continue his experiments, and during lunch, Monica rages that Diana has betrayed her promise to care for Papa. When Diana and Gerald arrive, Mortimer and Phoebe warn Diana that Papa is still angry. Phoebe then urges Papa to be lenient because Diana is "not the same" as them, but he refuses to talk to Gerald at all. Meanwhile, Diana tries to reassure Gerald that they will be happy, even though he wishes that they had stayed in Scotland. Monica interrupts them and drops hints about Malcolm, forcing Diana to tell Gerald about her abnormal brother, whom they have kept locked up his entire life. When Gerald questions her about Monica's resentment of her, Diana explains that after Papa's first wife died, he married Diana's mother, and even though she died mysteriously after giving birth, Monica has remained jealous of Papa's love for Diana and his late second wife. Diana then sees Papa, who declares that because she is not an "ordinary" woman, she should not have married until after "exhaustive tests" had been conducted. Papa orders her to obtain a divorce but Diana refuses, stating that she hopes her love with Gerald will make up for her miserable family life. Papa collapses during their argument, and when Phoebe gives Diana the serum with which to inject him, she is distressed to see how much his dosage increased during her absence. Diana then informs her that Papa will die soon, as a man's heart is not meant to last so long, but Phoebe cries that he must be saved, as he means more to her than to anyone else in the family. After an unsettling dinner, during which Monica throws food at Diana, Diana attempts to soothe Gerald's fears that they will be unhappy there. During the night, however, Gerald is frightened by Malcolm's howling, and other noises, which he does not realize are caused by Phoebe, Mortimer and Monica as they tear apart and eat a live chicken. When Gerald sees the debris left by the Mooneys' late-night meal, Phoebe claims that the mess was made by Malcolm, who escaped from his chains. Gerald presses her to convince Diana to return to Scotland, but Phoebe states that Diana must care for Papa, and that the best thing would be for them to divorce. Angry, Gerald declares that he will take Diana away, and Phoebe retorts that Diana had no right to marry. Outside, Diana reveals to a pleased Mortimer that she is pregnant, which she hopes will revive the disintegrating family. In the village, Monica visits disfigured shopkeeper Mr. Macawber, who supplies the rabbits and chickens Malcolm loves. Monica demands a new pet, and Macawber shows her a cage filled with rats, which he has fed only flesh, both human and animal, since they were born. Fascinated, Monica buys the creatures, but at home, one bites her and she kills it. She takes the animals back to Macawber and when he refuses to return her money, she gleefully orders the rats to kill him. Later, Phoebe and Mortimer discuss the upcoming full moon and plan on when to sedate Papa. Mortimer accidentally reveals that Diana is pregnant and Phoebe worries that the child could turn out like Malcolm, and although she hints that there is an unpleasant reason for Malcolm's abnormality, she refuses to disclose it. That afternoon, Diana finds a silversmith whom she coaxes into making bullets from Gerald's silver cross. Back at the estate, Monica plays outside with her friend, villager Rebecca, but when the girl threatens to reveal the Mooneys' odd activities if Monica does not remain loyal, the infuriated Monica brutally murders her. Upon her return home, Diana meets with Papa, who again refuses to acknowledge Gerald. When Diana tells him that she is pregnant, however, Papa ecstatically announces that they will begin testing to assure that her baby is born healthy. Papa finally consents to see Gerald, who is astonished when Papa relates that three centuries earlier, his great-grandfather was bitten by a diseased animal and that the family has been cursed ever since. Papa continues that because Diana's mother was "of clean blood," Diana is the only Mooney who can marry, although it is still risky to let her have her baby. Contemplating the information, Gerald calculates Papa's age, and the old man confirms that he is 180 years old and that his longevity comes from the serum he developed when he was a doctor. As they are talking, however, the full moon rises and Papa begins to growl. Much to his horror, Gerald discovers the Mooneys' secret: they are werewolves. Phoebe, Mortimer and Diana rush in with the sedative as Gerald fights off Papa, but Papa dies from the exertion. Crushed, Phoebe confesses that she and Papa loved each other deeply and that she was the one who poisoned Diana's mother out of jealousy. After her revelation, Phoebe also turns into a werewolf, as does Mortimer, but Gerald and Diana manage to escape. In their room, Diana shows Gerald her new pistol and silver bullets, with which her family can be stopped. Meanwhile, Monica and Malcolm have transformed, and after Malcolm kills Monica, he is strangled by Mortimer. Gerald then succeeds in shooting and killing Phoebe and Mortimer. Afterward, as Gerald and Diana discuss their future, Gerald declares that they will return to Scotland. Diana demurs, however, telling Gerald that she no longer needs him now that he assured the continuation of the Mooney line. Diana then reveals that unlike the rest of her family, she can become a werewolf at will, and after transforming herself, kills her husband. Later, the very pregnant Diana relaxes with a neighbor, Mrs. Veschinsky, who praises Diana for recovering so quickly from the shock of discovering her family murdered. As Mrs. Veschinsky mentions baby names, Diana placidly states that she only wants the baby to be healthy.