Outrageous Slasher Comedy On Tubi Is Equal Parts Magic And Root

By Robert Scucci
| Published 32 seconds ago

If there’s one thing I love more than a good horror comedy, it’s one made directly against Walt Disney’s wishes thanks to Steamboat Willie become a public domain property 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 a trailer was released on January 1, 2024, the same day copyright laws would no longer apply to the intellectual property as if they had been waiting for this moment for their entire lives. The end result is a teenage slasher film where the antagonist is remarkably similar to the Steamboat Willie iteration of Mickey Mouse, as later depictions of the character are still protected under copyright law.

Get the Legal Jumbo Mumbo Out of the Way

Before The Mousetrap enters its gory act, a giant disclaimer slowly scrolls across the screen, informing audiences that “This production is not sponsored, endorsed by, or associated with. DisneyThe Walt Disney Company or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates and/or third party licensors.” The disclaimer goes on for an amusing amount of time, letting everyone know that they’ve made several phone calls to confirm that Disney wants nothing to do with this film, “legally or emotionally,” but no but before acknowledging that the disclaimer itself is “generic”. space scroll … not to be confused with the films of Lucas and its subsidiaries or third party licensors.”

Certainly, this entire introduction to The Mousetrap is a joke in itself, but obviously there was some fear of legal repercussions going into the project, so why not be completely tongue-in-cheek given the chance?

The Mousetrap Framework

The events depicted are The Mousetrap are told looking back from a prison cell occupied by Rebecca (Mackenzie Mills), the sole survivor of the amusement center massacre. Tight-lipped at first, Rebecca is reluctant to share with detectives Cole (Damir Kovic) and Marsh (Nick Biskupek) what happened before she was locked up because she feared for her life. In order to prove her innocence, Rebecca has to walk the detectives through her night because she is currently the main person of interest, as she is the only person who got out of the amusement center alive .

It is worth noting, however, that Rebecca’s story is questionable at best because her recollection of events includes an exchange that took place when she was allegedly not present.

Story framing aside, The Mousetrap jumps back and forth from questioning Rebecca, to Funhaven, the amusement center where Alex (Sophie McIntosh) and Jayna (Madeline Kelman) work. Nearing the end of their shifts, Alex and Jayna are contacted by their boss, Tim (Simon Phillips), who asks them to stay a few hours late due to a last minute order. 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, who taunts him in a demonic voice, urging him to wear it.

Tim wanders off laughing, and that’s the last time he’s seen… or so everyone is supposed to think.

Start The Bath

Unbeknownst to Alex at the time, the party about to arrive includes his friends who I won’t list because you know going in. The Mousetrap nobody does it live, so why get involved? Meanwhile, what appears to be Tim, is still wearing the Mickey Mask, all chains and padlocks, ensuring that no one will be able to escape Funhaven.

Now if you have seen even just one slasheryou pretty much know where The Mousetrap is a headline at this point. One by one, the killer Mickey, who has inexplicably teleporting powers, kills everyone in his path while letting out a loud laugh with each stab and slash.

From now on, The Mousetrap shamelessly fulfills every classic slasher trope you could think of in style.

That couple wandering into the jungle gym to make love? Don’t get too attached. Uttering the phrase “I’ll be back,” instantly becomes a death sentence. And of course, of course everyone’s cell phone is put in a bag so everyone can live in the moment instead of scrolling doom. Except in this case, failing to scroll doom at a birthday party pretty much seals everyone’s fate.

Magical And Maniacal

The Mousetrap it doesn’t set out to reinvent the slasher genre, but instead celebrates the familiar beats we’ve all seen before in the most ridiculous way possible. Although I initially wished I hadn’t seen Tim masked at the start of the film, which suggests that he is the only person who could be the killer, going into this film without the slightest hint of mystery is make it even more enjoyable.

The Mousetrap not supposed to make you think, and there’s no big argument.

In fact, five minutes into the film, you know exactly what’s going to happen (by design), which allows you to mindlessly enjoy the violence knowing what going to happen as a bystander while everyone else is completely unaware.

You can stream The Mousetrap free on Tubi at the time of writing, and I strongly suggest you invite your friends over to see the show that is Mickey Mouse on a murderous rampage.