Liz’s Review: ‘MURDER OF A CAT’ is a quirky suburban noir.

I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of a weird gal. It’s fine. It’s sort of my thing. I like what I like and I’m proud of it. That being said, if someone killed my best friend, I’d hunt them down like the scoundrels they are. (Prime example, I use words like scoundrel in regular conversation). In the new film MURDER OF A CAT, Clinton (Fran Kranz) also, a bit of a weirdo, finds his beloved cat-friend brutally murdered. It is his moral duty to find out who, what, when, where, and why.

Clinton is a unique individual. He still lives in his mother’s basement and runs a yard sale of collectible action figures. Happy to be in his position in life, for the most part, Clinton’s world is turned on it’s head at his loss. The local sheriff (J.K. Simmons) as well as his mother (Blythe Danner) don’t take him seriously as his demands an investigation. With the help of a hair dresser (Nikki Reed), Clinton embarks on his own path to find out the truth. Along the way he encounters some of the oddest characters that are hiding in plain sight of suburbia. We have a mega store owner and local commercial celebrity (Greg Kinnear), the snarky neighborhood boy (Aidan Andrews), a two faced store clerk with his own agenda (Leonardo Nam) and the strong and silent thug (Brian Turk). These folks are all wrapped up in a quirky mystery that is laugh out loud funny.

A chock filled cast of big names, Fran Kranz owns this movie. He is one of Joss Whedon‘s crew. By that, I mean, super talented, perfect comic timing, and a face you just want to squeeze… in a purely grown up, non creepy, kind of way like the urge to bite a baby’s toes. Anyhow, you get it. No one else I can think of could pull off a performance so damn lovable. Everyone in the cast is hilarious. It makes me happy that actors of this caliber will come out for a script that is simply fun. Director Gillian Green nails the genre and the funny. Much applause must be given to writers Christian Magalhaes and Robert Snow. They get it. The laughs are plenty and the story has just enough twists and turns to keep you interested. 

MURDER OF A CAT is a real feel good comedy. It’s just strange enough to be awesome.

MURDER OF A CAT
Distributor: Gravitas Ventures
Starring: Fran Kranz, Nikki Reed, J.K. Simmons, Blythe Danner, Greg Kinnear
Release: Opens 12/5 VOD and select theaters nationwide
Directed by: Gillian Greene