Rodents of Unusual Size

Rodents of Unusual Size is a 2017 documentary film funded by ITVS and directed by the team of Quinn Costello, Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer about giant invasive swamp rats, nutria, threatening coastal Louisiana. The film is narrated by Wendell Pierce with an all original musical soundtrack by the Cajun band Lost Bayou Ramblers. The film is listed as one of the 100 Best Documentaries as ranked by the Tomatometer at Rotten Tomatoes with the film ranked at #94.[1]

Rodents of Unusual Size
Theatrical poster for the documentary "Rodents of Unusual Size"
Directed byQuinn Costello, Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer
Narrated byWendell Pierce
Music byLost Bayou Ramblers
Distributed byTilapia Film
Grasshopper
Release date
  • 15 November 2017 (2017-11-15) (DOC NYC Film Festival)
  • 14 September 2018 (2018-09-14) (United States)
Running time
71 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

This feature-length film premiered during the 2017 version of the all documentary film festival DOC NYC, on 15 November 2017.[2]

The film was released by Grasshopper Film and broadcast on the PBS TV series Independent Lens on 14 January 2019.[3]

Synopsis

Louisiana residents south of New Orleans have faced many an environmental threat, from oil spills to devastating hurricanes, but a growing problem are an invasive species known as nutria or colloquially called swamp rats in the region.

This invasive species from South America is accelerating erosion of the state's coastal wetlands, already one of the largest disappearing landmasses in the world.[4]

The film covers the people (trappers, chefs, fashion designers, exotic pet enthusiasts) who have lived in the area for generations and are fighting back in creative ways. The film winds up being a joyful take on an ecological menace while revealing, in equal parts, human beings' impact on the environment and the local communities' surprising solutions to save their land before it disappears.

Through the offbeat and unexpected stories of the people confronting the nutria problem, Rodents of Unusual Size examines issues surrounding coastal erosion, the devastation surrounding hurricanes, loss of culture and homeland, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Reception

The review consensus at Rotten Tomatoes for Rodents of Unusual Size had 98% of critics recommending the film, based on 46 reviews and an average rating of 7.80 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Rodents of Unusual Size approaches a variety of timely and thought-provoking subjects from fresh angles—and a lot of surprisingly large creatures in the bargain."[5]

At Metacritic it has a weighted average score of 65/100, based on 8 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[6]

References
  1. "Top 100 Documentaries". Rotten Tomatoes. 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  2. Scheck, Frank (22 November 2018). "Rodents of Unusual Size - Film Review". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  3. Mattise, Nathan (14 January 2019). "'Rodents of Unusual Size—Meet the invasive, orange-toothed pests of coastal erosion' — Review". Ars Technica. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  4. Chrastil, Nick (1 March 2019). "'Rodents of Unusual Size—Meet the invasive, orange-toothed pests of coastal erosion' — Story". Mother Jones. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  5. Board, RT Editorial (11 November 2020). "Rodents of Unusual Size (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  6. "Rodents of Unusual Size Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
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