Mousetrap

The First Flip: Landing on 'The Rat's' Trail

Pikashow has a movie named Mousetrap. Just by the title, it captures my interest. They say it’s about a reclusive author who has his identity stolen. The author is forced to partner with a loan shark to locate a person mysteriously called "The Rat". When this loan shark shows up, it also adds more confusion to this personal identity theft. Even as a standalone synopsis, it sets a high expectation of a dark, gritty crime drama. Rating wise, you can expect a TV-MA due to the dark crime themes. If this series is able to hold up to its promise, the first few episodes should be a draw. Within the first minutes, you’re dropped into this disoriented reality of identity theft as this loan shark enforces the alliance.

There is an interesting dynamic of an author and loan shark partnership. It is a recipe for unpredictable cooperation and constant building of tension. It is no secret this is a crime drama. From the directing duo Kim Hong-sun and Lee Jae-gon and Ryu Jun-yeol and Sul Kyung-gu’s casting it has an air of a high quality South Korean show. The melding of production and Sino-Korean dark crime dramas loves a dingy, atmospheric visual design. The series should bring that production and directing immediately in the first few episodes, right from color palette and framing along with an unsettling sense of time as this protagonist attempts to cope with a new reality. This should at least make you stick to watching episode 1 if not the whole show.

Settling In: The Binge-Worthy Grind

After pulling in the audience, the real challenge starts for 'Mousetrap': can it maintain the mystery and keep up the suspense over multiple episodes? A crime drama relies on its pacing, and as the show is centered on an identity crime perpetrated by a faceless figure known as "The Rat," the balance in the story will be in showing just enough to keep the antagonist just out of sight. The TV-MA rating tells us to expect a mature theme and may include brutal violence with a lot of moral ambiguity and will really push the drama beyond typical, run of the mill, procedural television. But we aren’t expecting the show to delve into cut and dried heroes and villains, but rather portraying characters who fall somewhere in between all the shades of gray, especially with the loan shark's role in the situation.

The series needs HD streaming like it needs air. With that, expect great cinematography showing how the quiet life of our protagonist contrasts with the dangerous world he has been dragged into. Urban landscapes can look beautiful in sharp contrast to meetings and investigations done in the shadows. A great sound design is also extremely important when trying to solve a mystery. A creeping soundtrack along with environmental and ambient sounds as well as vocal performances from a wonderful cast like Ryu Jun-yeol and Sul Kyung-gu can set the mood and build suspense for a deeper character immersion. The development of the alliance between the writer and the loan shark and the longterm allure for the audience of the series will be how unexpectedly strong the bond is. The power of “The Rat” is/will be how compelling each episode is by how he remains the series’ overarching mystery. The audience will keep coming back if the series is able to master building plot and character mysteries all at the same time.

Keep or Flip? Beating the Live Feed

Is 'Mousetrap' going to make your Pikashow watchlist? Is sports and reality TV still your go-to? After watching the series, I'd say it deserves its spot as a sticky watch. The pairing of an unassuming writer and the ruthless loan shark against a faceless criminal mastermind provides a new take on a crime mystery genre. The serial offers an edgier take on television, providing a more grown up and thoughtful alternative to what is available on broadcast television. Show is building momentum for audiences who want shows that provide rich character development that is not overly simplistic with shock value jump scares. 'Mousetrap' is a solid choice.

Trusting the audience to think beyond a lone antagonist is something the show bets on and can really propel this into a character driven show with an edgy, gripping, alliance of unexpected partners. A strong ensemble and engaging writing is a perfect marriage for a show worth talking about. If you are craving television to escape boring predictable plots, you have come to the right place. You are in survival mode and not sure of your identity. The show has a captivating grasp to audiences that makes you want to binge episode after episode. I'd say 'Mousetrap' is worth keeping as a great drama over the ephemeral events.