Cat Person: Film Review
It has taken six years, but the viral 2017 New Yorker short story, Cat Person, has finally been brought to the big screen.
Cat Person tells the story of Margot (Emilia Jones), a student and cinema employee who gives her number to a much older guy named Robert (Nicholas Braun) during one of her shifts. They start a text relationship while she is back home and eventually go on a date. Margot realises that the real Robert does not match up to the version in her head and she gets the ick. But when she tries to end things, he doesn’t take too kindly to being blown off.
While there are some relatively small changes, Cat Person is pretty loyal to Kristen Roupenian‘s fictional story; the beats are mostly the same and the speech and texts are identical. But it also expands the world and the roommate character (Tamara is now Taylor) and takes the idea to a much darker place. The short story ends just after Margot calls it off with Robert whereas the movie extends far beyond that.
The short story was an uncomfortable and relatable read that captured the unease and awkwardness of dating and not really knowing who you’re texting or meeting up with. While the movie retains that vibe, screenwriter Michelle Ashford turns it into more of a psychological thriller, with Margot experiencing dark, scary dreams and becoming paranoid that Robert is stalking her. After the point where the story ends, the film takes an unsettling, sinister turn. I didn’t mind this twist but it went way too far and should have dialled it back.
Braun doesn’t physically look like Robert from the short story, however, he understood the assignment. He walked the thin line between being an awkward, quirky guy and a creepy stalker, or possibly worse. In the source material, you are left with many questions about Robert – is he an unhinged psycho? Or is he an insecure and jealous person determined to get an explanation for Margot’s change of heart? The film offered less ambiguity when perhaps the uneasiness of not knowing his real identity was more relatable and effective.
There are some highlights though. There is a fantastic sex scene in which Margot has a conversation with her out-of-body self and wonders how she ended up in that situation. The writing is smart, for the most part, Jones is a solid lead and I loved Geraldine Viswanathan as Margot’s best friend and protector Taylor.
I am in the minority in liking Cat Person, which takes a relatable yet scary look at the perils of modern dating.
In cinemas Friday 27th October