Why ‘Cats’ is the Most Essential Film of 2019

by Rebecca Postman

*** Note that there are some spoilers in this article, but I tried mainly to focus on general topics and themes rather than specific scenes so that you can still enjoy the movie.

        On the first day of 2020, I knew it was important that I start off the New Year the right way. So, I made the decision to sleep in until 1:31pm and spontaneously call five of my friends, while still in pj’s, and beg them over the phone to come see the movie ‘Cats’ with me. Though only one of my friends came through, I can say with certainty that watching ‘Cats’ was the best way to start off my 2020. ‘Cats’ is horrifying, horny, baffling, bewildering, surreal, and plotless. And I think everyone, young, adolescent, and old, should watch it. 

  If you don’t know, the movie ‘Cats’ is based on the Broadway musical written by Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1982. The musical showcases the complex personalities that house cats truly have. To sum it up, ‘Cats’ is basically about a bunch of cats meeting together in London, and singing about their joys, pains, traditions, and talents. The cats are all meeting there because on that night there is a Ball and they are competing against each other. The cat who can showcase the most about themselves gets to be reborn into the life that they have always dreamed of living. Both the movie and the musical end with the happy ending of Grizabella—a cat who has lost her good reputation because of past poor decisions she has made—being the cat chosen to be reborn. 

        So, why watch this strange fever dream of a musical? Why listen to it? And why in God’s name would you want to see a film rendition of it where Taylor Swift’s face is plastered onto a seductive cat with a CGI’d tail?

        The answer is simple: you don’t. Nobody in their right mind would want to watch this Frankenstein of a movie, at least based on that synopsis. Nor did they in 1982, when ‘Cats’ the musical first came to theaters. Yet ‘Cats’ still manages to be on the top 5 list of the longest running Broadway musicals, right behind classics like ‘The Lion King’. It ran on Broadway for 18 years straight, before becoming a renowned classic amongst theater fanatics. But, why?

          The reason is because ‘Cats’ dismisses the entire notion that a show should follow the story mountain formula. There is no use in trying to affix a plot to either the film or to the musical, because there isn’t supposed to be one. The whole point of  ‘Cats’ is to showcase the mischief and finesse that each cat has over their own craft and lifestyle. The art and beauty of the showcase is that we can all find a part of ourselves in each cat character, but there isn’t a happy ending for most of them. Just like the rest of us viewers, the cats continue to suffer; but also like us, they also have each other. 

        ‘Cats’ is a strange film and concept that takes something as innocent and unassuming as a house cat and turns it into something magical. The choreography is impeccable and the artfulness and meaning is clear as day. I’ll be the first to admit that seeing Jason Derulo as a human-cat hybrid is disturbing, but besides the distressing aesthetics, the movie, ‘Cats’ 2019 is a decent modern rendition of the 1982 musical. The metaphors were there, the humor was there, and the writers were actually able to translate the strange, dream-like plot of the musical into something weird and unforgettable.

        So whether you hate-watch ‘Cats’ with all your friends and laugh at the CGI, or whether you take your younger cousins to see it, or whether you’re a die-hard musical fan who has seen the show live, I think that it is in everyone’s best interest to watch this bewildering masterpiece of a movie. ‘Cats’ has layers upon layers of meaning and content to mentally process and appreciate and despise, and I could honestly see it becoming the next cult classic for these reasons. In conclusion: Young, adolescent, or walking with a cane, you need to watch this crazy movie.