‘Cat Person’ Movie Review [Sundance 2023]: Viral Short Story Makes a Grating Feature Film
The world of dating can be treacherous and filled with dread, not even including the process of online dating. Director Susanna Fogel‘s Cat Person brings Kristen Roupenian’s short story to life from a screenplay written by Michelle Ashford. Unfortunately, it should have remained in its original medium, as the film adaptation is a hapless trudge that never finds its rhythm.
‘Cat Person’ shows the terrors of dating
Margot (CODA‘s Emilia Jones) is a college student working at her local art house theater to earn some income. She catches the eye of an older, taller customer named Robert (Succession‘s Nicholas Braun). Their initial in-person flirtations escalate over text message conversations, as the romantic chemistry continues to bloom between them.
The more that the pair talk, the more Margot begins to feel deep in her gut that something isn’t quite right with Robert. Meanwhile, her friend, Taylor (Geraldine Viswanathan), tries to warn her of the red flags. Margot’s distrust continues to build, although she wants to believe that he’s a good person. Her relationship with Robert and her very life are potentially at risk, as she questions if her worries are valid.
The consequences of thinking the worst
Cat Person opens with the Margaret Atwood quote, “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.” This directly speaks to the dynamic that unfolds between Margot and Robert, as they fear one another in different, albeit radically uneven ways. She meets a friendly dog near her home right before a storm and attempts to sneak him inside to keep him warm. However, Margot’s ensuing nightmares demonstrate her dance between kindness and fear of danger.
The college student has a close working relationship with Dr. Enid Zabala (Isabella Rossellini), who has a colony of ants that she has worked on raising for years. Margot discusses with her how ants mate, as well as the dynamic between the queen and her workers, which directly applies to her romance with Robert. The dating hierarchy based on gender, sexuality, and age haunts Margot’s romantic experiences, past and present.
The closer Margot grows to Robert, the more she pushes Taylor away. She’s incredibly overbearing, rejecting traditional dating ideals and encouraging her friend to take control of the situation. Margot gets lost in her own mind, imagining possible dangerous scenarios unfolding. What if he attacks her, forces himself on her, or lies about something sinister about his past? How would she react? Cat Person is frequently an internal monologue Margot has with herself, as she tries to make her way through the terrifying world of dating.
‘Cat Person’ is a slog of a dramatic thriller
The contemporary dating scene is a fascinating place to center a thriller, especially with the countless stories that already exist out there. However, Cat Person adapted the wrong one. It’s not nearly as clever as it thinks it is with obvious and overplayed commentary. The further along the story goes, the more frustrating it becomes. Over the course of Margot’s time with Robert, she never thinks to ask him simple questions, such as what he does for work or how old he is. There’s something to be said about fearing to ask certain questions in the world of dating, but this film isn’t nuanced enough to dig into any of that.
Jones and Braun do the best they can with the material, managing to strike up a certain amount of chemistry in the early portion of the runtime. Every character inevitably comes across as preachy and irritating, only rendering this story even more tedious.
There are some intriguing ideas sprinkled throughout the story, but the film doesn’t find a smooth or compelling way to explore them. Stretched to two hours, it long overstays its welcome. Cat Person is more grating than thrilling, biting off far more than it can chew narratively and thematically.
