Mouse (2021)

November 12, 2023

Our Take: A serial killer drama with a unique premise, though the execution doesn't nearly match the complex storyline. 

Inspired by the 2017 Incheon Elementary School Murder case, Mouse asks, "Are people born psychopaths, and can they feel empathy?" In the real-life case, the defendant showed no remorse for killing the victim. Instead, when asked if they felt guilty or sorry, the defendant responded, "The weather is nice, but it's the hardest for me not to see cherry blossoms." Drawing inspiration from this case, the scriptwriter asks, "What if a psychopath could feel remorse and reflect on their actions?"

In the present day, South Korea is reeling from the grisly copycat murders of "Headhunter," (Ahn Jae Wook), a serial killer who terrorized the nation with his brutal murders 21 years prior. Rookie police officer Jung Ba Reum (Lee Seung Gi) is an honest and kind man who has dedicated his life to pursuing justice. Together with his partner, Go Moo Chi (Lee Hee Joon), they attempt to track down the new serial killer. When Ba Reum fatefully comes face to face with the killer, he narrowly survives the deadly encounter but finds that his life completely changes. 

As Ba Reum and Moo Chi seek to uncover the truth, they are determined to understand what causes these psychopathic behaviors. These questions lead them down a dangerous path and raise serious questions about where to draw the line.  

Taking you down a deep rabbit hole of nature versus nurture, Mouse dives into the complexity of psychopathic behaviors. In the show, new fetal genetic tests can predict if a person has a genetic predisposition to psychopathy with 99% accuracy in a mother's womb. Due to this groundbreaking technology, prominent members of the South Korean government advocate for mothers to abort children detected with psychopath genes to create a world without bad people. However, the bill narrowly failed to pass due to human rights concerns.

Yet, from the start, we see people automatically assuming a murderer's child is evil. With this label, investigations quickly become muddled with biases and lead to missed details that could reveal the true culprit. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the psychopath genes are not the real problem. Not all psychopaths are killers, and they are not the only ones who can kill people. The core issue at hand is society's prejudice and people's inhumanity. People are not born evil — monsters are made by society and their surrounding environment. 

Lee Seung Gi delivers a haunting portrayal of Jang Ba Reum. Ba Reum initially comes off as a naive but good-hearted police officer. He rescues birds on the brink of death, feeds neighborhood stray cats, and assists senior citizens with their grocery shopping. However, something feels off about him, and his true motives are gradually revealed, leading to a shocking revelation and profound character development. As you watch him in action, you can't help but feel a whirlwind of emotions — anger and frustration mixed with pity and sadness.

His partner, Go Moo Chi, is intelligent but reckless and impulsive. He struggles with alcoholism stemming from his traumatic childhood, where he watched his parents get brutally murdered by the Headhunter. You can see the pain he carries in his body language and eyes, as well as the desperation of seeking out and punishing criminals.

Similar to Moo Chi, Oh Bong Yi (Park Ju Hyun) lost her parents at a young age and was raised primarily by her grandmother. A troubled high school student, she is strong, caring, courageous, and highly skilled in martial arts. Despite her past traumas, she continues to fight for another day and move forward. 

Choi Hong Joo (Kyung Soo Jin) is a mysterious, award-winning producer of an investigative program, Sherlock PD. She is persistent and headstrong, frequently following Detective Moo Chi for the latest scoop. While she doesn't seem important initially, her tenacity shines as she uncovers more details about the Headhunter case.

Han Seo Jun, or Headhunter, is an intriguing character who embodies exactly who you think of when you imagine serial killers. He has no remorse for his actions and zero empathy. He's pure evil and cynicism at its finest. 

The opposite of Ba Reum, Sung Yo Han (Kwon Hwa Hoon) is a highly skilled doctor who exhibits some psychopathic behaviors. While he saves many lives at the hospital, his demeanor comes off as cold and aloof, leading to frequent misunderstandings between him and his peers and patients.

Mouse is filled with surprising twists and turns but suffers from attempting to do too much at once. With so many characters and a complicated plot, the latter half of the series starts feeling disorienting. It gets harder and harder to keep all the facts straight, and the timelines get confusing. Aside from Ba Reum and Moo Chi, many characters lack depth and come off as mere plot devices to increase the victim count rather than people you should genuinely care about. 

The concept of the "psychopathy genes" also could have been better explored. While the screenwriter intended to punish serial killers by making them feel empathy, the path to get there required a complete suspension of disbelief. At times, the show seems to push the narrative that people with psychopathy genes are destined to be evil, but that's a dangerous assumption that isn't grounded in science. 

Our Verdict

Mouse has its fair share of flaws, but it is a novel and intriguing story with plenty of surprises. The stakes are high, creating an intense and powerful thriller that leaves you on the edge of your seat.