Per Robert Scucci
| Published
If there’s one thing I love more than a good horror comedy, it’s one made in direct defiance of Walt Disney’s wishes thanks to Steamboat Willie becomes public domain in 2024. Seizing the opportunity to make a slasher based on Mickey Mouse, writer Simon Phillips and director Jaime Bailey announced their intention to produce Mousetrap, and released the trailer on January 1, 2024, the same day that copyright laws would no longer apply to intellectual property, as if they’d been waiting for this moment all their lives. The end result is a teenage slasher film in which the antagonist bears a striking resemblance Steamboat Willie iteration of Mickey Mouse, as later depictions of the character are still protected by copyright law.
Getting the legal mumbo jumbo out of the way
Ago Mousetrap gets into its bloody action, a giant disclaimer slowly scrolls across the screen, informing the audience that “This production is not sponsored, endorsed, or associated with DisneyThe Walt Disney Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates and/or third party licensors.” The disclaimer goes on for a comically long time, letting everyone know that they made several phone calls to confirm that Disney wanted absolutely nothing to do with this movie, “legally or emotionally,” but only before confirming that it was just disclaimer “generic”. space scroll … not to be confused with Lucas films and its affiliates or third-party licensors.”
Of course, this whole introduction to Mousetrap a joke in itself, but there was obviously some fear of legal ramifications going into the project, so why not be completely cheeky when you get the chance?
Mousetrap frame
Events shown in Mousetrap are told backwards from the prison cell occupied by Rebecca (Mackenzie Mills), the sole survivor of the massacre at the entertainment center. Coarse at first, Rebecca is reluctant to open up to detectives Cole (Damir Kovic) and Marsh (Nick Biskupek) about what happened before she is locked up because she fears for her life. In order to prove her innocence, Rebecca must lead the detectives through the night because she is the main person of interest at this point, as she is the only person who got out of the entertainment center alive.
It’s worth noting, however, that Rebecca’s story is dubious at best because her recollection of events includes conversations that took place when she was allegedly not present.
Story framing aside, Mousetrap jumps back and forth from Rebecca’s interrogation to Funhaven, the entertainment center where Alex (Sophie McIntosh) and Jayna (Madeline Kelman) work. Nearing the end of their shift, Alex and Jayna are approached by their boss, Tim (Simon Phillips), who asks them to be a few hours late due to a last-minute booking. Disappearing into the back office, Tim pours himself a drink and watches Steamboat Willie on his projector until he is distracted by his collectible Mickey mask, which taunts him in a demonic voice, forcing him to wear it.
Tim wanders off laughing and that’s the last time he sees him… or so everyone is supposed to think.
Start the bloodbath
Unbeknownst to Alex at the time, the party due to arrive consists of her friends who I won’t name because you know you’re going to Mousetrap that no one gets out alive, so why get attached? Meanwhile, what appears to be Tim is still wearing the Mickey mask, chains and padlocks on all the doors, ensuring that no one will be able to escape Funhaven.
Now, if you’ve seen even just one slasheryou know where Mousetrap going at the moment. One by one, the murderous Mickey, who inexplicably has teleportation powers, slaughters everyone in his path, letting out a high-pitched giggle with each stab and cut.
From this point on, Mousetrap shamelessly pulls off every classic slasher trope you can imagine with style.
That couple who wandered off to a jungle gym to make love? Don’t get too attached. Saying “I’ll be right back” immediately becomes a death sentence. And of course, of course everyone’s cell phones were put in a bag so everyone could live in the moment instead of turning to doom. Except in this case, not being able to doom scroll at a birthday party pretty much sealed everyone’s fate.
Magical and maniacal
Mousetrap doesn’t aim to reinvent the slasher genre, but rather celebrates familiar beats we’ve all seen before in the funniest way possible. While I initially wished I hadn’t seen Tim masked at the beginning of the film, implying that he was the only person who could possibly be the killer, going into this film without any hint of mystery makes it all the more enjoyable.
Mousetrap it shouldn’t make you think, and there’s no big reveal.
In fact, five minutes into the movie, you know exactly what’s going to happen (by design), allowing you to mindlessly enjoy the violence knowing what’s going to happen as a viewer while everyone else is completely oblivious.
You can stream Mousetrap free on Tuba at the time of writing, and I highly suggest you invite your friends to witness the spectacle that is Mickey Mouse on a murderous rampage.