20 Things You Somehow Missed In Shutter Island
10. The True Meaning Of "Rat In A Maze"
Jackie Earle Haley appears briefly in the movie as deranged inmate George Noyce, who tells Teddy that the doctors are experimenting on their patients, and that he's being deceived as part of a "game."
Noyce memorably tells Teddy that he's a "rat in a maze," which at first appears to be a fairly throwaway comment from an unreliable figure, until the end of the movie reveals that, indeed, Noyce's comment is more literal-minded than anyone expected.
Indeed, Teddy is a test subject in a bold psychological experiment from which escape is either unlikely or impossible.
Noyce's line was featured extensively in the film's trailers, yet few could've anticipated its actual context in the final movie, or that the unhinged Noyce was actually totally on the money.