Key takeaways
- Netflix's Mousetrap follows a reclusive novelist (Ryu Jun Yeol) whose identity and fortune are stolen by a mysterious doppelgänger called The Rat.
- Three men with different motives—the novelist seeking vindication, a loan shark pursuing money, and a confused detective—hunt The Rat in this webtoon-based thriller.
- The teaser promises intense action sequences including hand-to-hand combat, shootouts, and car chases, blending mystery with adrenaline-driven suspense.
Netflix has unveiled the main poster and teaser for its forthcoming thriller series Mousetrap, a webtoon adaptation centered on identity theft, deception, and a manhunt across three perspectives. The first materials reveal a high-stakes game in which a protagonist struggles to reclaim his stolen life from a mysterious doppelgänger.
A Doppelgänger Takes Everything
Moon Jae’s Shocking Discovery
At the heart of Mousetrap is Moon Jae, a reclusive novelist portrayed by Ryu Jun Yeol, who encounters the unthinkable: a man bearing his exact face. This doppelgänger, known only as “The Rat,” has systematically dismantled Moon Jae’s world, stealing his name, identity, and fortune. The teaser opens with the moment Moon Jae comes face-to-face with his double, a shock that forces him into an immediate struggle to prove who he actually is. Without his identity, his money, and his standing, Moon Jae finds himself isolated and desperate—a novelist rendered powerless in his own life.
The Cast Steps Into the Thriller
The ensemble supporting Moon Jae includes Sol Kyung Gu as No Ja, a loan shark whose personal stakes in the mystery differ sharply from the protagonist’s. No Ja is hunting The Rat not out of revenge but because the doppelgänger has taken his money, creating an intersection of two separate crimes. Lee Kyu Hyung enters as detective Sun Yong, a law enforcement officer whose investigation into The Rat’s identity pulls him into the web. Kim Sung Oh rounds out the cast as Seung Gyu, a character introduced in the teaser as someone at odds with No Ja, adding another layer of conflict. Together, these four men form the core of a thriller where each brings conflicting motives to the same central mystery.
Three Men, Different Hunts
A Novelist Searching for Himself
Moon Jae’s journey is uniquely existential. A writer who has lost not only his livelihood but his very identity, he must navigate a world in which another person now claims to be him. The teaser emphasizes his determination to reclaim what was stolen, setting up a personal vendetta that goes beyond financial loss. For a novelist, the loss of identity is particularly devastating—his name is his brand, his reputation, his entire professional legacy. The main poster captures this desperation, showing Moon Jae with a serious, resolute expression, his body language conveying the weight of proving his own existence to a world that now recognizes The Rat as him.
A Loan Shark’s Desperate Pursuit
No Ja operates from pure self-interest: The Rat owes him money, and he intends to collect. This pragmatic motivation contrasts sharply with Moon Jae’s need for vindication. Despite their different reasons for hunting The Rat, the teaser reveals that these two men form an unlikely alliance, recognizing that they are more effective together than apart. No Ja’s loan shark status introduces a criminal underworld element, suggesting that the mystery extends beyond personal grievances into organized crime. His involvement raises the stakes considerably, as debt collection in such circles often involves violence.
A Detective’s Confusion
Detective Sun Yong’s role introduces the institutional perspective—law enforcement attempting to sort truth from fabrication. As he investigates, he grows increasingly confused about which of the two identical men is authentic. The teaser hints that he receives a mysterious tip that draws him into the case, suggesting The Rat himself may be orchestrating events for reasons yet to be revealed. Sun Yong’s mounting confusion serves as a metaphor for the audience’s own uncertainty, creating dramatic irony as viewers—like the detective—struggle to distinguish reality from deception.
The Rat’s Game
Mysterious Motives and Twisted Psychology
The central question driving Mousetrap is why The Rat targeted Moon Jae in the first place. Stealing not only money but identity itself suggests a psychological motivation deeper than simple theft. The tagline—”A deadly pursuit to find myself”—hints that The Rat’s actions may be rooted in some form of identity crisis or past connection to Moon Jae. The teaser includes a cryptic moment in which The Rat, speaking to a barely conscious Moon Jae, tells him to run away. This moment undercuts the typical villain archetype; rather than gloating over his victory, The Rat’s warning suggests complexity and possibly conflicting emotions. His true intentions remain deliberately shrouded in mystery, leaving viewers to speculate about whether he is purely malevolent or operating under some twisted code.
A Dangerous Alliance Forms
The teaser shows how Moon Jae and No Ja progress from conflict to cooperation. Initially, No Ja approaches Moon Jae aggressively, demanding his money back, unaware that Moon Jae himself is the victim of The Rat’s theft. As the truth emerges, both men recognize they face a common enemy. This partnership between a novelist and a loan shark creates an inherent tension—they are not natural allies, and their cooperation is purely strategic. Yet this very friction generates dramatic potential, as viewers wonder whether their alliance will hold or fracture as they close in on The Rat.
New Players Enter
The introduction of Seung Gyu adds unpredictability to the investigation. His apparent conflict with No Ja introduces a secondary power struggle, raising questions about allegiances and hidden agendas. Is Seung Gyu aligned with The Rat? Is he pursuing his own agenda? The teaser deliberately leaves these questions unanswered, building tension around his role in the larger game.
Adrenaline and Mystery Combined
The teaser concludes with intense action sequences that promise a kinetic thriller experience. Hand-to-hand combat, shootouts, and car chases dominate the final moments, signaling that Mousetrap will blend mystery and suspense with physical action. These sequences suggest that the hunt for The Rat escalates into direct confrontation, with all three protagonists drawn into escalating danger. The promise of adrenaline-driven sequences balances the psychological elements of identity theft and deception, crafting a thriller that operates on multiple registers—cerebral mystery and visceral action.
What Lies Ahead
The main poster visually reinforces the central premise: Moon Jae, No Ja, and detective Sun Yong stand beneath the shadow of The Rat, each facing a different direction, their expressions grave and focused. This composition emphasizes both their separation—each hunting The Rat for different reasons—and their entanglement in the same dark game. The shadow looming over them represents The Rat’s orchestration of events, suggesting he may be several steps ahead of his pursuers. As Mousetrap prepares for release on Netflix, the teaser and poster have succeeded in establishing a high-concept premise centered on one of cinema’s most unsettling scenarios: the theft of identity itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main plot of Mousetrap?
Mousetrap follows Moon Jae, a reclusive novelist played by Ryu Jun Yeol, who loses his identity, name, and fortune to a mysterious doppelgänger known as The Rat. Moon Jae must prove his own identity while forming an unlikely alliance with No Ja, a loan shark, and dealing with detective Sun Yong's investigation.
Who are the main cast members of Mousetrap?
The main cast includes Ryu Jun Yeol as Moon Jae, Sol Kyung Gu as No Ja, Lee Kyu Hyung as detective Sun Yong, and Kim Sung Oh as Seung Gyu. Each character brings different motivations to their pursuit of The Rat.
What platform will Mousetrap air on?
Mousetrap is a Netflix original series. The teaser and main poster have been released, and the series is upcoming on the platform.
