CAT SICK BLUES: An Odd, Grotesque Midnight Movie Legend

It begins innocently, with scenes from the life of an average teenage girl – smoking weed, watching cat videos… And suddenly he appears, a killer in a pathetic black cat mask, at the sight of which the future victim bursts out laughing, only to lose her head for him a moment later… Or rather because of him. Z-grade films feature many characters so absurd that it is hard to deny oneself the standard ninety minutes spent in their company; nonetheless, the Cat Man unquestionably takes the lead. For all its oddness, Cat Sick Blues is not a typical bad film.

The scenes set in the killer’s apartment, his daily routine, even his masturbation in front of a sex cam, are clearly inspired by artistic indie productions, which means that until the very last minute it is hard to know how to react. Laugh? Be baffled? Turn it off or push on? Naturally, I did not have to ask myself that last question – I never turn films like this off.

The reason for this film’s existence is obvious; we all have its potential screenwriters and directors among our Facebook friends or Instagram follows. These are people who have turned their love of cats into an obsession, documenting every purr, every visit to the litter box, and every jump at the sight of a cucumber. In his debut feature, Dave Jackson simply asks what would happen if that obsession became dangerous.

There are two protagonists, united by grief after the loss of their pets. Ted Henson has set himself the goal of bringing his beloved furball back to life, which requires him to take the lives of nine women – supposedly previous incarnations of Patrick. At the same time, he is plagued by a bizarre urge that compels him to strap on a gigantic artificial penis modeled on a feline reproductive organ.

In parallel, we meet Claire Ellis, the owner of another cat, an internet sensation, who is murdered in a ridiculous accident and thrown out of a window, while Claire herself becomes a victim of rape.

… After twenty minutes, you will still struggle to determine whether all these oddities are meant to be funny, or whether you are watching the vision of a diseased mind fit only for isolation from society. If you sat down to watch this with a bag of chips and a bottle of beer, you may quickly find it turning your stomach.

Before I discourage you completely (although if you own cats yourselves, you are probably already checking where you can watch Cat Sick Blues), it must be said in Jackson’s defense that, in an increasingly rigid and formulaic world of horror, he has created a story that is surprising, unpredictable, and free of cheap Hollywood tricks. At times you feel like laughing, but the unsettling atmosphere reminiscent of Repulsion or The Tenant by Roman Polański effectively suppresses further outbursts.

Matthew C. Vaughan and Shian Denovan are excellent in the lead roles, and there is more commitment in their performances than in Johnny Depp’s recent work. The amount of blood and practical special effects is perfectly balanced, and although there is no doubt that the film’s budget was very low, the creators managed to avoid inducing embarrassment.

The murder scenes are pure pleasure, and the group killing set to a dream-pop ballad is a masterpiece that will go down in the history of Z-grade cinema. In fact, the film as a whole deserves the status of an underground legend.

Somewhere in the background of this grotesque story emerges a social commentary on life online, where many videos end up being shared without the consent or will of the people appearing in them, and where YouTubers from all over the globe allow themselves to record reactions and commentary, thereby spreading the material even further. Some mock it, others supposedly raise awareness of the problem, but in truth everyone is feeding their ego or simply making money off it.

Sexual themes and… cat-related ones intertwine intensely, to the point that for several days after the screening you may feel the need to avoid your own four-legged companion. Jackson puts the viewer in such a state of intense discomfort that I honestly do not know whether to recommend Cat Sick Blues to you or advise against it.

It is also possible that the story takes place in the same world as the town of Twin Peaks. If you like this kind of oddity, you have already made your decision. For me, it is one of the most surprising films of recent years – and I have seen quite a lot.