Cat People

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Cat People

R

1982

1h 58m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

66%

Tomatometer

61 Reviews

46%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

In this sensual and violent horror tale, Irena Gallier (Nastassia Kinski) has a dark family secret, one that resurfaces dramatically when she reconnects with her estranged brother, Paul (Malcolm McDowell). Living with her sibling in New Orleans, Irena finds herself enamored with zoologist Oliver Yates (John Heard), even as her brother makes his own advances toward her. It's not long before the dark and dangerous curse of the Gallier clan rears its feline head.

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Critics Consensus

Paul Schrader's kinky reimagining of Cat People may prove too grisly and lurid for some audiences, but its provocative style and Natassja Kinski's hypnotic performance should please viewers who like a little gasoline with their fire.

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Dwight Brown

Sepia

Aug 10, 2022

With a unique blend of mysticism, eroticism and tension, this remake is both engrossing and terrifying in an off-beat way.

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

Oct 23, 2018

Schrader takes himself very seriously, but after "Cat People," there's no reason the public should perceive him as anything greater than an exploitation director with delusions of grandeur.

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Yardena Arar

Associated Press

Oct 23, 2018

Cat People, director Paul Schrader's remake of a 1942 B-movie, combines explicit sex, graphic violence, special effects and the supernatural and somehow falls flat.

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Richard Freedman

Newark Star-Ledger

Jan 7, 2026

A stunningly beautiful movie that works on just about every level.

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Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

Jun 24, 2024

8.5/10

Cat People is Schrader’s most overtly carnal picture, using horror to explore repression, intimacy and desire.

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Justine Smith

Vague Visages

Jun 6, 2024

Just like the old school gangster films that opened with empty warnings about the fact that crime doesn’t pay, the narrative limits do little to discount the expression of liberated and violent feminine desire.

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Huntin P

@PaxVobiscum80 Oct 3, 2026

Cat People is sexy. Cat People is silly. Hot nonsense. I have it in my head that Schrader was trying to do something Jungian with this one. He was trying to do something matrimonial with Kinski, and who can blame him. Poor guy, he got burned. He was pouring gasoline on the fire. Malcolm McDowell is a good match for Kinski's intoxicating sex appeal. They all play it straight, which is the only way to make something like this function. Recommended, but remember, don't take the story seriously. And don't blame yourself if you start clawing the screen later on.

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B P

@Bradster69 Sep 27, 2026

Not Bad, but Not My Favorite

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 7, 2026

Cat People = a *3* star movie!

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Stefano T

@Giant_Lizard Apr 17, 2026

Remake of a classic that I really liked. But this one goes from boring scenes to unnecessary gore, with nudes every now and then because "that always work". And using sudden loud sounds to scary the public is cheap.

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Erin M

@Mightymotes Mar 17, 2026

A trance like atmosphere and great performances, in this tense and dark erotic thriller! The low viewer score can be attributed to those who can’t focus on the subtleties of a movie,and are easily bored from a slow burn narrative.

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Danielle C.

@DaniELLIE Dec 7, 2025

The reviews talking about Nastassja Klinski in those creepy uncle ways have me literally nauseous. This film is not good and doesn’t deserve a 5 star rating just because an extremely young actress is hot

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Paul Schrader

Director

Nastassja Kinski

Irena Gallier

Malcolm McDowell

Paul Gallier

John Heard

Oliver Yates

Annette O'Toole

Alice Perrin

Ed Begley Jr.

Joe Creigh

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Synopsis

In this sensual and violent horror tale, Irena Gallier (Nastassia Kinski) has a dark family secret, one that resurfaces dramatically when she reconnects with her estranged brother, Paul (Malcolm McDowell). Living with her sibling in New Orleans, Irena finds herself enamored with zoologist Oliver Yates (John Heard), even as her brother makes his own advances toward her. It's not long before the dark and dangerous curse of the Gallier clan rears its feline head.

Director: Paul Schrader
Producer: Charles W. Fries
Screenwriter: DeWitt Bodeen, Alan Ormsby, Paul Schrader
Distributor: MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Image Entertainment Inc.
Production Co: Universal Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 2, 1982, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 11, 2015
Runtime: 1h 58m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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