"The Brookdale Institute" is a mysterious, little-known hospital for the criminally insane (a fact which is kept on a need-to know basis). Brookdale has another, more lucrative facet; a safe harbor for the chronically drug-addicted rich and famous, especially the sons and daughters of the above, whose families have tried everything. "The Institute" is also for the once-famous, who, having bottomed out, also have no where else to turn but Brookdale. Investigating possible health code violations, "Jennifer/Samantha", (Sara Downing), a career-driven reporter for "The Philadelphia Enquirer", checks in under the guise of a patient, in hope of getting a hot story. Unbeknownst to her, the real scoop is much more awesome then even she could write about, should she live to tell. Brookdale is infested with super-intelligent, supernaturally empowered killer rats, a by-product of forgotten experiments conducted by "Dr. William Winslow" (Ron Perlman), the Chief Psychiatrist at Brookdale. Winslow had abandoned the experiments long ago, however ex-patient/caretaker, "Ernst" (Michael Zelniker) has developed a symbiotic, telepathic relationship with the rodents, and they thrive off of each other. As patients mysteriously disappear, and the body count mounts, even The Exterminators, RatMaster General "Hans" ('John Paul Young') and his assistant, "Jim" () are no contest for the awesome force of this hybrid rodent strain.