Ben is a 1972 American drama-thriller film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Lee Montgomery, Joseph Campanella, and Arthur O'Connell. It is a sequel to the film Willard (1971). The film follows a lonely boy named Danny Garrison who befriends Willard's former pet rat named Ben. Ben becomes the boy's best friend, protecting him from bullying and keeping his spirits up in the face of a heart condition. However, Ben forms an army of deadly rodents while the police attempt to control it. Ben was released on June 23, 1972 by Cinerama Releasing Corporation, and received mixed reviews from the critics. American singer Michael Jackson performs the theme song of the film, also titled "Ben". The song is also included on his 1972 album of the same name. Plot The movie begins with a recap of the ending of the first film where Willard Stiles is killed by his rats after he tries to kill them and Ben. Police arrive at the scene and find Willard dead. Two police officers stay at the Stiles house where one of them is attacked and killed by the rats while the other finds his body. A police detective named Clift Kirtland orders to have an exterminator to kill the rats, but Ben hears this and tells the other rats. Together, Ben and the other rats go into the sewer. A lonely boy named Danny Garrison, who has a severe heart condition, lives with his sister, Eve, and his mother, Beth. Danny finds and befriends Ben while playing with marionettes in his workshed, and Ben becomes the boy's best friend. Later that day, Ben and the other rats attack a food truck, causing the driver to crash and kill another driver. The next day, Danny plays on the piano a song he has created for Ben. Later that night, Ben and the other rats invade a grocery store for food and destroy the entire store. Police officers and detectives are now trying to kill the rats with poison and traps in the neighborhood, but Danny tells Ben about the traps set up by the police. Just then, a bully comes to make fun of Danny, but Ben and the other rats attack the bully by biting him in the legs. The bully gets scared and runs away. Danny thanks Ben and the rats for helping him with the bully. The bully comes back with