A Folktale Turned Thriller
A Korean folktale about the dangers of discarding fingernail clippings has inspired a new Netflix original series, "Mousetrap," which reimagines the story as a suspense thriller about identity theft. The series, directed by Kim Hong-sun, draws from the traditional story in which a mouse or rat consumes a person's clipped nails and transforms into an exact replica of that person, as reported by both The Straits Times and Yonhap News.
Based on the webtoon "Field Mouse" (also referred to as "The Rat Trap"), the 10-episode series follows Moon-jae (played by Ryu Jun-yeol), a reclusive writer whose life is thrown into chaos when a double emerges and begins impersonating him, wreaking havoc on his finances and personal life, according to reports from both outlets.
Dual Roles and Identity Questions
Speaking at a press conference in Seoul on August 20, Ryu described the series as going beyond its fantastical premise to explore deeper questions about identity. "Looking at the original webtoon, I felt that the writer was not simply telling a story for the sake of entertainment or excitement, but had a very distinct philosophy and used the story to explore some profound ideas," said the 39-year-old actor, as quoted by The Straits Times.
Ryu took on his first dual role in the series, playing both Moon-jae and the creature (named Mouse) that assumes his identity. Discussing the challenge of portraying two characters who are physically identical but fundamentally different, Ryu said he and the team focused on subtle distinctions rather than overt transformations, referencing his 2022 film "The Night Owl" in the process, as reported by The Straits Times.
Director Kim Hong-sun, whose involvement was noted by Yonhap, said the series is "a thriller in which a person whose life has been completely taken away seeks to regain his identity." He also said he made the process of tracking down the rat central to the plot to differentiate the series from other works exploring similar themes of stolen identities and truth, according to Yonhap.
Cast and Characters
The series features Sul Kyung-gu as Noja (also spelled No-ja), a loan shark who initially tries to collect a debt from Moon-jae but later teams up with him to track down the rat, according to both outlets. Lee Kyoo-hyung plays a police detective involved in the case, as reported by Yonhap.
Sul, whose 30-year career includes the films "Silmido" (2003) and "The Merciless" (2017), commented on the characters' ordinariness. "The characters are not superheroes, they are actually very normal people. The plot centers on the uneasiness, the fear and doubt the characters go through, exploring what it means to be true, to be real," Sul said, as quoted by Yonhap and The Straits Times.
Sul also noted that the characters may seem somewhat empty or lacking but they drive the story forward, and he found it incredibly immersive, according to Yonhap.
The series is scheduled to premiere Friday next week, as reported by Yonhap.