Arguably considered the true heir to Satyajit Ray, Adoor Gopalakrishnan is one of India's most outstanding filmmakers and Rat-Trap was his first film to gain widespread international acclaim.

Remarkable for its focus on characterization and detail, Rat-Trap is set in rural Kerala. Its story concerns Unni, the last male-heir of a feudal and decaying joint family. Unni's inability to accept the socio-economic changes of a new society result in his gradual withdrawal into a metaphorical rat-trap sprung from his own isolation and paranoia.