Imagine waking up one day to find your own fingerprint no longer unlocks your phone — and someone else has already taken your name, your money, and your life. That’s the premise driving “Mousetrap,” Netflix’s next big Korean thriller, and it’s shaping up to be one of the platform’s most intriguing 2026 originals.
Formerly known by the working title “The Rat,” the series is expected to arrive on Netflix on August 28, 2026, though the streamer hasn’t formally confirmed the date yet. It stars Ryu Jun-yeol and Sul Kyung-gu — two heavyweight Korean actors teaming up for the first time.
What We Know So Far on Mousetrap?
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Expected Release | August 28, 2026 |
| Platform | Netflix (South Korean Original) |
| Director | Kim Hong-seon |
| Based On | Webtoon “Field Mouse” by Ludvico |
| Lead Cast | Ryu Jun-yeol, Sul Kyung-gu |
| Filming Period | April–November 2025 |
The plot follows Moon Jae, a reclusive novelist whose entire identity gets hijacked overnight by a mysterious figure known only as “Rat.” When his fingerprint stops working and the one friend who managed his affairs vanishes, Moon Jae is left with no way to prove who he even is. Desperate to reclaim his life, he turns to No Ja — a loan shark-turned-private investigator who’s been hunting him for an unpaid debt for three years.
Ryu Jun-yeol is a South Korean actor who began his career in independent films before gaining wide recognition through the hit series Reply 1988</cite>, and he brings that same knack for layered, emotionally grounded performances to Moon Jae’s unraveling. Sul Kyung-gu, known for his intensity in projects like “Kill Bok Soon” and “The Whirlwind,” rounds out the pairing as the morally ambiguous No Ja.
The premise draws from an old Korean folktale about a rat that becomes human by consuming clipped fingernails — a detail that hints this thriller may lean into something stranger than a simple identity-theft mystery.
