When the trailer for Cats (2019) premiered, so many tweets and parodies followed, but the one that stuck in my head was the one calling it a new horror movie. Then the movie actually came out and the audience was distracted by the special effects disaster as it showed in theaters to crowds appreciating it as they did The Room and Rocky Horror Picture Show. Now that it’s available to stream and we are all practicing social distancing, I finally got a chance to enjoy it. And I did enjoy it, because Cats is a straight up horror movie. That trailer was accurate. Again, remember I am talking about the film. ( I can’t speak to the stage production.) I understand that the addition of some plot was needed in order to bring Cats from stage to the big screen. Well, that plot is textbook slasher film, my friends.
Understand that I am jumping into the Cats canon blind. Instead, it feels like I am five Friday the 13ths in here. Yes, I understand they are cats and that each cat has something special about it. Some cats are more special than others. There is singing and dancing, which was very enjoyable. A bad cat appears, a problem is presented and solved. The choice is made and the movie ends.
Check out the trailer for Cats here:
Setting
But let’s look at it slightly differently. In a London (possibly ours, but that has horrifying implications), cat-like creatures roam the streets. Are they real cats or something other? Their movements are catlike enough to be disconcerting. They walk on two legs and four. If you saw one scuttle by in the shadows you would hurry home. But there are no humans on the street. Everything the cats pass seems to be cat themed or ruined and abandoned. But there is something bigger than the cats. We never see it, just a glimpse of something that hints at a large creature. And, of course, there are the mice and cockroaches with human faces. Are those all that is left of humanity? Never mind, the movie doesn’t focus on this so let’s move on.
Archetypes
The characters of Cats are archetypes. And they do seem to fall into the roles we are familiar with from slasher films–the virgin, whore, jock, nerd, and fool. Victoria and Grizabella mirror the virgin/whore dynamic (assuming I am understanding the Grizabella plot). Thankfully, Cats takes pity on its audience, and we never see the cats transgress in typical slasher film manner, although, these are some really amorous cats (that was horrific enough on its own). We do see two cats punished for gluttony and pride (Bustopher Jones and Jennyanydots, respectively).
Villain
Obviously, or maybe not (sorry for the spoiler if you haven’t seen it), we do not see a cat massacre at the Jellicle Ball. Tom Hooper is no Roger Corman–although, the cats’ reaction to that catnip had a real massacre vibe for anyone who ever wanted to see Taylor Swift in a Jim Jonesesque role. Macavity is, however, treated like a typical slasher killer throughout the movie. He appears and disappears like magic (very Michael Myers). He quips like Freddy Krueger. And when the camera tracks him, and other characters look at him, I keep expecting someone to say “Oh it’s you,” like too many movies to count (but let’s say Sleepaway Camp). The only thing Macavity doesn’t get is a good slasher kill. Sticking people on a boat is not satisfying for you or your audience.
Oh, but wait. When Macavity doesn’t get a good kill by the end of the movie, you realize that he’s actually not the real killer. This wasn’t a slasher movie at all. Between the unsettling atmosphere, the unusual setting, and the focus on the worship of the cats, this was folk horror. We just watched the Cat Wicker Man. I dare you to look at Grizabella as she drifts away in the chandelier balloon to the ‘heaviside laye’ and tell me she wasn’t sacrificed by all those smiling cat faces.
Phew, I have a lot to process still, but I know in my heart that I saw a horror movie when I saw Cats. If you have to watch one horror movie during your social distancing, probably don’t make it Cats. But definitely add it to the list.
You can stream Cats on Amazon:
Ashley Pfeiffer is an editorial coordinator in the medical publishing field. She has to full time cats and a temporary cat that she are certain are not slashers. Ashley is a huge horror fan and keeps a Herbert West poster above her bed.
