The 2020s have been a doozy so far; not only have we survived a plague, but now, thanks to the statute of limitations on copyrights, some of our fondest childhood memories are going to the public domain. Winnie the Pooh has already had the horror treatment, and coming later this year, Steamboat Willie, Disney’s earliest incarnation of Mickey Mouse, looks to get the same treatment with Mickey’s Mouse Trap, brought to us by Canadian independent studio Into Frame Productions.
Alex (Sophie McIntosh) is working the late shift on her 21st birthday at the local amusement arcade. At closing, her friends surprise her, and they decide to hang out and have a few drinks in celebration. The only problem is that a masked stranger dressed as Steamboat Mickey has joined them to spread plenty of fear and force the friends to play his game if any of them are to get out alive.
The story is told in a series of flashbacks by Rebecca (Mackenzie Mills) from inside a holding cell. Explaining the events of the night to detectives Marsh (Nick Biskupek) and Cole (Dimir Kovic), Rebecca does her best to detail the movements of her friends in their final moments while trying to pick apart the motives of the deranged Mickey Mouse-clad killer.
Mickey’s Mouse Trap is a cheesy nod to slasher movies, taking inspiration from everything from Scream to the Saw movies. As Mickey methodically dispatches with the unruly young adults in an increasingly gory fashion, we are treated with familiar tropes, no, we have to stay together, and some truly corny dialogue that, on more than one occasion, I found myself shaking my head as I chuckled quietly to it. Thankfully, it never takes itself seriously, and that is shown in the fun the cast has with their parts. It is refreshing to see a project come together that looks to have been done for the enjoyment of it and as a bit of an homage to an icon from our childhoods.
Director Jamie Bailey, who looked after cinematography and editing and also co-produced, has managed to take a relatively conservative budget and turn it into an atmospheric and fun slasher pic all set within the confines of a couple of rooms within the arcade. Special effects are creatively used to give the killer a level of supernatural aura while also incorporating practical and camera effects in a way I was not expecting. It was enough to make me sit up and notice the skills.
Mickey’s Mouse Trap feels like a passion project put together by a small, dedicated team whose love for the source material shone through. It is still a little jarring to see our childhood characters turn into psychotic killers. Fortunately, this one is a lot of fun, and you can tell the actors and team had a whole lot of fun making it as well.
Mickey’s Mouse Trap is coming soon, so keep an eye out here. We’ll let you know where and when you can catch it.
