Catching Rat

Summary

“Catching Rat” follows Joohyeong, a worker assigned to a lonely night shift where the discovery of rats turns into an unexpected opportunity: ₩50,000 for every rat caught. What begins as a straightforward way to earn extra money soon becomes an increasingly tense and unsettling test of Joohyeong’s judgment, endurance, and willingness to risk himself for a modest reward. With no one else around and the hours stretching on, the job’s physical hazards and psychological pressure begin to loom larger than the payment that brought him there. The film’s central character is Joohyeong, whose isolation makes the night shift feel both like a workplace and a trap. The rats are more than a practical nuisance; they become a persistent presence that reflects the instability and anxiety surrounding him. Working in a confined, impersonal environment, Joohyeong is forced to confront how quickly economic necessity can blur the line between ordinary labor and dangerous obsession. Blending workplace realism with suspense and dark humor, “Catching Rat” explores precarious employment, the value assigned to labor, and the lengths people may go to when every small payment matters. Its compact premise creates an atmosphere of mounting unease, turning a simple pest-control task into a sharp examination of loneliness, exploitation, and the risks hidden inside supposedly minor jobs.