Review: Susanna Fogel’s ‘CAT PERSON’ is obscenely relatable… on every level.

CAT PERSON

Emilia Jones plays Margot, a college student and movie theatre concession girl who goes on a date with an older patron who may or may not be a murderer. Based on Kristen Roupenian‘s 2017 viral short story in The New Yorker, director Susanna Fogel skillfully weaves a dark tale that every woman has lived.

Nicholas Braun plays Robert. Taking the world by storm as Greg on Succession, Braun leans into his height and natural awkwardness, simultaneously charming and scaring the shit out of audiences. His dialogue overflows with double entendres and demeaning terms of endearment. Braun is spectacular, settling into the role without a moment’s hesitation.

Emilia Jones (CODA) plays Margot with a delicious mix of caution, optimism, anxiety, and delightful sardonic wit. She commands your attention with equal parts “every girl” and an entirely captivating performer. Watching her feels effortless.

The script perfectly balances black humor and visceral tension. Writers Michelle Ashford and Kristen Roupenian cleverly utilize fantasy and nightmare sequences to keep the viewers constantly on edge. Countering the fear is a feminist message of empowerment, predominantly in the form of Margot’s best friend Taylor (Geraldine Viswanathan), and her professor Dr Enid Zabala (Isabella Rossellini). The movie references that initially attract Robert and Margot to one another continue throughout the film. Cinephiles rejoice. Text message conversations keep Robert ever-present.

The script also comedically highlights how far women go to remain appealing, how we placate for acceptance, the self-deprecating behavior, and the blatant shunning of red flags. There is a sex scene that is truly something to behold. It is the most cringeworthy, amusing, icky, relatable thing any woman can watch. It accurately captures the constant fear of existing as a woman. The relentless anxiety, the people pleasing, and the patriarchal pressure from every direction, CAT PERSON nails each aspect with humor and truth in fiction.


CAT PERSON
Starring Emilia Jones & Nicholas Braun
Directed by Award-Winning Filmmaker Susanna Fogel

Opens New York City & Los Angeles October 6th
In Theaters Nationally October 13th

**Official Selection – 2023 Sundance Film Festival**

Genre-Bending Thriller Based Off Kristen Roupenian’s
Viral New Yorker Short Story


Directed by Award-Winning Filmmaker
Susanna Fogel (“The Flight Attendant”, writer Booksmart)

Starring:
Emilia Jones (CODA)
Nicholas Braun (“Succession”)
Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers)
Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet)
Fred Melamed (A Serious Man)
Liza Koshy (Transformers: Rise of the Beasts)
Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark)

Written by Michelle Ashford (“Masters of Sex”), the story expands upon Kristen Roupenians’ 2017 short story of the same name published in The New Yorker. Striking a nerve with readers, “Cat Person” was the first work of short fiction to ever go viral, spurring conversations about the modern dating scene, seduction and consent around the world.

When Margot, a college sophomore (Emilia Jones) goes on a date with the older Robert (Nicholas Braun), she finds that IRL Robert doesn’t live up to the Robert she has been flirting with over texts. Cat Person is a razor-sharp exploration of the gender divide, the quagmire of navigating modern dating and the dangerous projections we make in our minds about the person at the other end of our phones.


 

Tribeca 2023 short film review: ‘TO MY FATHER’ is an exquisite ode to unconditional love.

TO MY FATHER

To My Father, depicts Deaf actor Troy Kotsur’s journey to winning an Oscar and his father’s inspiring
influence on him, despite a tragic accident.


Gorgeously shot by Brody Carmichael, with thoughtful editing by Joshua Meyers, Sean Schiavolin brings audiences a heartfelt story of inspiration and determination with the short film TO MY FATHER. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, Troy Kotsur is now a household name. Sweeping awards season with his emotional performance as Frank Rossi in CODA, Kotsur explains how his father connected with him not only as a deaf child but also as an extraordinary creation. Never allowing Troy to feel bothered, it is easy to see where the backstory of Frank comes from.

Troy’s vulnerability flows off the screen. Reenactments directly from Troy’s storytelling deliver every emotion possible. Have tissues on hand. It will be impossible to maintain a dry eye. I wept through this film, thinking about my child with autism. If I can be a fraction as supportive as Len Kotsur, imagine what Wes may be capable of achieving. In just over twenty minutes, this unforgettable film is an ode to a parent’s unconditional love.


‘TO MY FATHER’ will screen as part of the program

SHORTS: TAPESTRY

 
87 MINUTES 
 
Documentary

Short docs woven together from life-changing experiences. 

Playing in this program:

Miss Brown (F WP)

The Right to Joy (NYP)

To My Father (WP)

Deciding Vote (WP)


In Person

Thu June 08 – 8:15 PM
RUSH

 

Fri June 09 – 2:30 PM
RUSH

 

Wed June 14 – 6:00 PM

 

Sat June 17 – 3:30 PM
RUSH

 

Tribeca At Home

All At Home Films >>
Tribeca At Home Pass
Stream June 19 – July 2