While Hollywood spends millions chasing the next prestige hit, a group of talented actors just made one for the price of a second-hand car — and it's brilliant.
MOUSE is a 14-episode psychological crime thriller that has no business being this good. Shot guerrilla-style with a crew of two to three people and a budget of under $7,000, the series delivers the kind of dark, gripping drama that television executives spend fortunes trying to manufacture.
At its centre is Lanny Joon — the Korean-American actor best known for Baby Driver — as Detective Sam Park, a haunted cop trying to keep his demons buried while they claw their way back up. Opposite him, Shélah Larson is electrifying as Joey, a character whose quiet menace keeps you permanently off balance.
Larson is not just the lead — she's the co-founder of Short Snacks Entertainment, the indie production company she launched with director Roth Rind on a philosophy that's almost radical in today's industry: don't wait for permission.
"The industry system was crowded," said Larson. "The only way to get anything made was to have the big crews, big money, and most of all, permission. We reminded ourselves of why we got into this business — to make movies."
The supporting cast would make any commissioner envious: Syra McCarthy (Grey's Anatomy, Josephine), Shane Yoon (Modern Family), Linc Hand (42, Imperium), Danny Parker-Lopes (Minority Report), plus Jennifer Ekpunobi, PJ Schulte, Mark Shiva, Trent James, Hidekun Hah, and Kevin Kemp. Not bad for a show made on a shoestring.
The production team is equally impressive: cinematographer Matthew Intil crafted the series' tense visual grammar, producer Kyle Cummins (Lost) steered the logistical ship, and the script was co-written by Rind and Brandon Silberstein. The score — which lands with real cinematic weight — comes from composers Ross Lara and Justin Wilmott.
The series is distributed across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Just a proper crime thriller, made properly, on its own terms.
The full 14-episode season is out this summer.
