Rat In The Kitchen follows the story of a man undergoing a divorce who notices that his kitchen is ransacked every single day. After he suspects it to be a rat, further layers begin to peel out! The story here dabbles with multiple genres and expertly so. The mood of the drama is grim while initially giving the impression of a pure psychological drama before switching into the horror territory and later a black comedy. But the measured writing doesn’t really move away from the tone of the drama. The screenplay standing at about 20 odd minutes is about the right length for this short film that keeps you guessing till the very end.

The drama establishes the divorce angle early on when it is implied that the character of the husband catches his wife red-handed during the act. Months later, the psyche of the protagonist is reflected through the prevalent monsoons that paint a grim picture about the present situation of the protagonist. Divorces can be traumatic at times especially when a part of you wishes to cling on to your past, without wishing to move ahead. It would surely be a hard-time(based on what I have observed amongst friends) and it can easily take a toll on your mental health. And the concept of depression is given a fresh new angle in this searing yet thrilling tale represented through an illusion of sorts. The element of fear is taken and later turned on its head by the writers.


The proceedings are interesting and engrossing given how the writers build on the atmospherics of the drama by utilizing the depression angle as an undercurrent. The focus is on the ransacked kitchen that prompts the husband to take appropriate action. But the illusion created in the viewer’s mind is whether he is imagining things or whether his alter ego is performing the mess while he isn’t aware about it? Or whether there really is a rat or something else? As they say, you can lose your head while undergoing depression and that is also represented through a layered sequence featuring the character of the husband and his wife, wherein he doesn’t wish to sign the divorce papers, in hope that his wife would return to him some day. Yet, the focus never shifts from the mystery of the ransacked kitchen.

I liked how the writers switched genres in the events leading to the final act. The introduction of the element of horror was creepy and chilling with the right kind of lighting to back the narrative style. The grand reveal was interesting leading to a quirky ending that was almost reflective of the assumption playing out in the mind of the protagonist. As they say, mind can play tricks while making a mountain out of a mole hill! So overall, the screenplay was well written and made for a splendid watch.