Cat Person opens with a quote from Margaret Atwood “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.” It’s a thesis statement that this film plays with in interesting ways… made more interesting because I had no idea what it was about… or even what genre it was.

The film is about a college girl who meets a slightly older and less attractive guy. They have an awkward back and forth but she gives him her number and they really hit it off in text chat. When they meet again in real life, he’s back to being ungainly and awkward. But she finds that cute… and a little annoying… but cute.

I enjoyed not knowing what the movie was and going along with its awkward dialog about social and gendered norms. It plays with out expectations of this awkward romance and how such things work in other movies.

The leads are great. She is Emilia Jones who I adored Coda. She’s pretty intense, adorable, sarcastic, and witty in this one, getting a lot done with a slightly amused smile. Nicholas Braun plays the slightly dorky guy who thinks he knows how he should act around women based more on films than experience. They have an awkward chemistry and work better when apart. It’s a fascinating film romance.

The movie probably stretches itself out a bit much… a solid twenty minute shorter would have kept the pace better. The ending kind of explodes the whole thesis statement and not in a clean way… in a very messy way that isn’t clear what it’s trying to say or be about. And maybe that’s the point. If so, good on them but also maybe next time lighten up on the melodrama.

Cat Person is a very good film that has a lot to say in a way that I found interesting, amusing, and a little risky. I found the two leads (and the best friend) relatable and familiar in a way I won’t confess. If it had gone for a more believable ending, it’d have been a homerun. Instead, it’s merely a very good film. Nothing to sneeze at.

Score: 84