Are We Not Cats

Runtime 77 Minute

Directed by Xander Robin

Horror-Romance/Dark Comedy

Now Streaming on Shudder.

Trigger Warnings: Body Horror, Self Harm/Mutilation, Depression,
Substance Abuse, Flashing Lights, and….Eating Hair.

Clocking in at 77 minutes, the gorgeously aesthetic indie horror-romance “Are We Not Cats” still manages to pack in quite a lot of “WTF” moments.  It’s quite possibly one of the strangest things I’ve seen all year, and maybe also the grossest, but also somehow equally one of the most beautiful.  Poor Eli is clearly having a bad run with some 2020-level misfortune: his girlfriend dumped him by way of an affair, his boss quite literally kicked him to the curb, his parents have announced they’re moving across the country, and he’s got no one to lean on and no place to go.  With nothing but his few shabby belongings, a beat-to-shit box truck on its last legs, and what little shred of dignity remains, Eli tries to make the best of it all.  Desperate for cash he takes a job that unbeknownst to him will lead him into the arms of Anya and a potentially tragic but surely true, undying love.

This bittersweet movie is at once gritty and dismal as it is vividly hopeful and romantic.  It stands well on its own as a bizarre little body-horror melded with tragic romance, but of course has a few more layers beneath the surface.  You’ll find gentle warning signs of codependency, unresolved trauma, addiction, and more, and it does explore some of the dark sides of depression, loneliness, and coasting along while finding oneself.  But don’t despair - it is also about the joy in finding people who see you for who you really are, love you in spite of and because of those flaws, and embrace your weirdness.

The cast is charming and oddly sympathetic given we really don’t spend a great length with their characters; they’re just so authentic and real, you can’t help but root for them, even if they are a touch disturbing. The camera work is hazy, cinematography velvety and romantic, and the overall look leans into that VSCO/Vintage reel aesthetic. It was an enjoyable film albeit slightly discomforting, and most assuredly a niche viewing experience.  Overall I’d recommend this for those with strong stomachs and no aversion to the voyeuristic experience of observing folks with weird predilections like eating hair.

Viewers beware, though, there are flashing lights, loud music, substance abuse, instances of self harm and trichotillomania, and the last 15 minutes or so contain one of the most uniquely gross-out moments I’ve seen in awhile.

Review by Ellen Avigliano

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