This is sure to provoke lots of discussions after viewing.
Netflix has just added Cat Person, the 2023 psychological thriller based on the popular short story of the same name, to its library.
Written by Kristen Roupenian, the original short story was published in The New Yorker in 2017 and tells the story of the brief relationship between Margot, a 20-year-old sophomore college student, and Robert, a 34-year-old man who is a regular at the movie theatre where she works, which winds up taking a dark turn.
After being published by the magazine, the story went viral online with many readers resonating with its depiction of a young woman navigating the modern day dating scene.
Six years later a movie adaptation landed in cinemas which expands out the story and features Emilia Jones (CODA) as Margot and Nicholas Braun (Succession) as Robert, who claims to love cats – hence the title.
Also featuring in its cast such recognisable faces as Fred Melamed (A Serious Man), Geraldine Viswanathan (Drive-Away Dolls), Hope Davis (Asteroid City), Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet), Liza Colón-Zayas (The Bear) and Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark), the Cat Person film adaptation earned mixed reviews and was not a hit at the box office.
That said, it is now available to discover for Netflix viewers – many of whom may not be familiar with the source material.
Here’s a sample of some of the positive write-ups Cat Person received from critics:
The Australian: “This is a highly intelligent, finely-acted, astutely-written and directed, well-shot (cinematographer Manuel Billeter) film that will leave questions in your mind well after the credits roll.”
The Playlist: “A fiendishly playful relationship-gone-bad quasi-thriller with a sense of humor about its own unknowability.”
Toronto Star: “Sure to prompt many bad-date memories and post-screening debates, Cat Person adroitly balances goofy and scary, with possibly the worst screen kiss ever.”
Variety: “It’s a squirmy, uncomfortable movie no teenager wants to watch with their mom, but maybe everyone should.”
TheWrap: “A bold, stylish and dynamic adaptation that makes big choices. The moral of the story is left up to us, which is perhaps the most daring move of all.”
Cat Person is streaming on Netflix in Ireland and the UK right now. US readers can also check out the movie on Hulu.
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