Lee Seung-gi's character in 'Mouse' was desperate to find the killer.
The Korean drama Mouse, which stars Lee Seung-gi and Lee Hee-joon, has been invited to screen at the International Panorama at Series Mania 2021. The CJ ENM production is a psychological thriller about a serial killer and the possible existence of a “psychopath gene.”
Mouse, written by Choi Ran and directed by Choi Joon-bae, follows the lives of two men, one of whom may be the son of a serial killer. Decades after the original killer is locked up, a new psychopath begins murdering people. The drama poses plenty of ethical questions. Can a person inherit a “psychopath gene” and if so, do they deserve a chance to overcome such tendencies? Does nurture have any mitigating influence on nature?
As a child Go Mu-chi, played by Lee Hee-joon, watched the original serial killer murder his family and he wants revenge. If the killer was not in prison Mu-chi might already have murdered him. Jung Ba-reum, played by Lee Seung-gi, is a rookie police officer who is horrified by the misery that the killer inflicts. Together he and Go Mu-chi work diligently to find the serial killer, encountering disturbing revelations along the way. The R-rated plot takes viewers through many twists and turns before the identity of the killer is revealed.
Lee Hee-joon plays a detective desperate to catch a serial killer.
“Striking a perfect balance of storytelling and scientific speculation on a supposed psychopath gene, Mouse imagines the riveting hunt for a killer,” said Series Mania art director Frederick Lavigne. “Twist after twist, writer Choi Ran sustains a constant amount of unease throughout the series, offering Lee Hee-joon, Lee Seung-gi and Park Ju-hyun a devious playing field. It is yet another proof of Korea’s talent in producing taut thrillers that pose real ethical questions while keeping the audience on the edge of their seat.”
“I am very happy that our belief in the potential of Mouse came out to be a success,” said Lee Kyung-sun, chief producer of CJ ENM’s drama production team. “We hope that this nomination could be a chance for audiences, not just in Korea, but worldwide, to enjoy the drama.”
Series Mania takes place from Aug. 26 to Sept. 2 in Lille, France, and celebrates the best of international drama series. This year’s guests of honor including Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan, Dexter show runner Clyde Philipps and The Good Fight actress Audra McDonald. Other premieres include Season 5 of Netflix’s Money Heist.
Mouse is the only Korean drama to be shown at the festival, which will feature 30 international titles from the US, UK, France, Italy, Turkey and Israel.
