Film Review – Cat Person (2023)

Cat Person opens with a quote by Margaret Atwood: “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them, women are afraid that men will kill them.” Needless to say, this quote and the opening scene define the tone and themes of this movie. The film begins in a way that is going to be very familiar to any woman in the audience as we see a young woman walking home in the dark, worried about her well-being. Harrowing and truthful, Susanna Fogel’s newest film paints a picture of our reality with humour and uneasiness at the same time, one that many people in the audience will undoubtedly relate to.

Cat Person is a black comedy psychological thriller film based on a short story of the same name by Kristen Roupenian, which was published in the New Yorker in 2017 and quickly went viral online as people from all over the world related to its depiction of modern-day dating. The film follows Margot (Emilia Jones), a 20-year-old sophomore college student who works at a movie theatre while studying at university. At the cinema, she meets Robert (Nicholas Braun), an older man who she has a brief relationship with, despite the concerns of her roommate and friend Taylor (Geraldine Viswanathan).

From the very beginning, the scenes of Margot walking back to her dorm in the dark are very ominous, thanks to the use of the music that creates the threatening atmosphere that permeates throughout the film, making it an anxiety-inducing movie for those in the audience who can sympathise and see themselves in Margot’s shoes. In this sense, the music and the score play a key role in making Cat Person what it is and certainly add to the overall feeling of the film, which gives the audience an insight into Margot’s emotions as we move through the story from her point of view.

Although it is foreshadowed throughout the film, nothing could have prepared me for the sudden change both in of phone and plot in the third act of Cat Person. While the entire film is interesting, the third act is what really makes the film such a unique product. It also probably is the most memorable part of the entire movie as it showcases the movie’s ability to move across very different genres, switching from a dark comedy to a frightening thriller in the very same breath without seeming too forced and definitely defines the film’s tone and scope.

Cat Person’s strength is also in its main character. Margot is not only a relatable protagonist but she is also one we can easily empathise with as the audience gets to see Margot’s thoughts play out on our screen. I really liked being able to visually see her innermost thoughts and, thus, getting an insight into her fears and inner monologues throughout the movie. One of the most fascinating characters other than Margot is Taylor, with a spectacular performance by Geraldine Viswanathan who shines in the movie as the funny and smart best friend. However, I do wish we could have seen her even more and explored such an interesting character in more depth as she is such a vital part of the movie, despite not really being featured in the original story as much.

Ultimately, it is a film that really captures the feelings women experience every day: from the ever-present fear of walking home alone at night to imagining the worst possible outcome in a potentially dangerous situation with a stranger. Cat Person is undoubtedly an uncomfortable but necessary watch, one that equally made me laugh and feel the anxiety of the protagonist at the same time. While I may not be ready to watch it again, I am still thinking about the film, and particularly the last third of the movie, even days after having watched it.