‘Cat Person’ Trailer: Nicholas Braun and Emilia Jones Collide in Unhinged Thriller Sans Felines

Samantha Bergeson
·2 min read
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The highly-anticipated film “Cat Person” purrs into theaters soon courtesy of Rialto Pictures.

“Cat Person,” which was among IndieWire’s most anticipated films out of Sundance, received distribution later than expected, leaving fans waiting for the big screen adaptation of the viral New Yorker short story of the same name.

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“CODA” breakout star Emilia Jones plays college sophomore Margot who meets awkward bachelor Robert (Nicholas Braun) while working at a movie theater concession stand. However, Robert may not be as he seems: For one thing, as a self-described cat owner, there are no furry felines to be found in his apartment. Did Robert lie about having cats to seem non-threatening? Is Robert really a villain, or is Margot paranoid thanks to dating horror stories?

Geraldine Viswanathan and Isabella Rossellini also star in the twisty rom-com meets thriller.

Susanna Fogel directs the film based on Kristen Roupenian’s 2017 The New Yorker fictional short story, which Michelle Ashford adapted for the script. “Cat Person” is fully financed by StudioCanal, with Fogel executive producing along with Ashford and Daniel Hank. Jeremy Steckler and Conde Nast Entertainment/The New Yorker Studios’ Helen Estabrook serve as producers.

Kate Erbland’s IndieWire review praised the film for being “appropriately excruciating” to mirror the short story. “It will set your teeth on edge and raise the hairs on the back of your neck, just as it should,” Erbland penned. “Jones and Braun also make for keen casting, with Jones winningly working the line between Margot’s relative innocence and her tricky desires, and Braun turning creepy when you least expect it. Yet the film’s muddled, messy, and brand-new final act feels at odds with Roupenian’s story and the very emotions it raised with its readers.”

She continued, “The film answers questions that range from the mundane (does Robert really have cats?) to the unnecessary (is Robert really a bad dude?), all of them sewing up tight a story that hits much harder when it’s allowed to be more open. Is Robert really a bad dude? Isn’t that the point of this entire story?”

“Cat Person” is premieres in theaters October 6 from Rialto Pictures. Check out the trailer below.

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