The Mouse Trap Review: More Cheese Than Chills
The Mouse Trap (2024) is a film I discovered through the pre-menu trailers whilst sitting down to watch Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 (2024), both films being distributed in the UK by Altitude. Whilst this film was clearly intended to capitalise on the recent trend of public domain horror, The Mouse Trap barely engages with its source material, instead being an all-out ’90s slasher throwback that relies mainly on Mickey’s face as a mask and sporadic clips of Steamboat Willie (1928).
With its non-linear narrative, an (albeit weak) whodunnit theme, and the trope of horny teens getting slaughtered at a party, this flick also aims to capitalise on ’90s horror nostalgia (think Scream (1996) and I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)). It cuts back and forth between a jail cell, where the ‘final’ alt-girl is being interrogated about the killings, and the unfolding slayings, during which we witness the standard fare of a masked maniac going on a slaughtering spree using various creative methods.
The Mouse Trap has one paranormal aspect, but this is of little interest. Whilst the movie managed to raise the odd chuckle from me, its 80-minute runtime felt more like four hours. Its predictable structure and boilerplate narrative made the film a slog to get through. The characters were very two-dimensional, comprising standard character archetypes: the jock, the nerd, the goody-two-shoes girl next door, the stoner, and one (or two, in this case) who are sex-mad.
It pains me to be so disparaging of a movie, knowing the work that goes into its production. However, I am at a loss to recall many redeeming qualities about it. I would never say to avoid a movie like the plague; go and watch it if you’re curious enough, but I will most likely not be watching it a second time.
