Cat Person is best when you withhold judgement until the end as a viewer. Early judgement of this plot will lead you to misconstrue its ideas. I found Cat Person thought provoking, witty and well directed.
The plot of Cat Person is a real life reflection of Ted Mosby's "Dobler or Dahmer Theory" from 2000's sitcom How I Met Your Mother. The theory says that romantic gestures are only charming if the recipient is into the other person, making them a Dobler in the eyes of the recipient, referencing Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything. If the recipient of the romantic gesture is not into the other person, the recipient views them as a Dahmer, referencing serial-killer Jeffery Dahmer. Cat Person explores this theory as it occurs in the real world and the consequences that can bare out of the poor reception of romantic gestures. In an era where sensitivity to this has heightened, Cat Person effectively allows for viewers to draw their own point of view yet it sincerely believes in the Dobler or Dahmer Theory.
It is cynical about the benevolence of any party involved in romantic affairs, putting multiple ways of coming up short in these situations on display for us to interpret. Nicholas Braun & Emelia Jones choosing this film as their first projects after Succession & CODA, respectively, seems to be a smart choice to me. Good film. Recommend.
The plot of Cat Person is a real life reflection of Ted Mosby's "Dobler or Dahmer Theory" from 2000's sitcom How I Met Your Mother. The theory says that romantic gestures are only charming if the recipient is into the other person, making them a Dobler in the eyes of the recipient, referencing Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything. If the recipient of the romantic gesture is not into the other person, the recipient views them as a Dahmer, referencing serial-killer Jeffery Dahmer. Cat Person explores this theory as it occurs in the real world and the consequences that can bare out of the poor reception of romantic gestures. In an era where sensitivity to this has heightened, Cat Person effectively allows for viewers to draw their own point of view yet it sincerely believes in the Dobler or Dahmer Theory.
It is cynical about the benevolence of any party involved in romantic affairs, putting multiple ways of coming up short in these situations on display for us to interpret. Nicholas Braun & Emelia Jones choosing this film as their first projects after Succession & CODA, respectively, seems to be a smart choice to me. Good film. Recommend.