Cat People

Irena, a young immigrant from Serbia, meets the man of her dreams at a New York zoo. However, following an old legend from her homeland, she soon becomes convinced that she will turn into a big cat when aroused, which is why she fears any form of closeness or desire … Part film noir, part psychological drama and part fantasy, CAT PEOPLE explores the fear of intimacy, unfulfilled desire and cultural alienation. In a series of B-movies, of which this is the first, producer Val Lewton – who also wrote the screenplay based on the original novel – revolutionises the horror genre by focusing on (economical) atmosphere rather than special effects: the threat remains invisible; the horror arises in the mind and is all the more terrifying for it.
(Florian Widegger)