Are We Not Cats

Are We Not Cats is an American body horror romance film that first hit the big screen in 2016. It stars Michael Patrick Nicholson, Chelsea Lopez, and Michael Godere and is directed by Xander Robin.

At its core, Are We Not Cats is a visceral, unusual and star-crossed love story. The film primarily revolves around Eli (Michael Patrick Nicholson), a twenty-something, aimless and down-on-his-luck man, who is grappling with life after losing his job, his apartment, and breaking up with his girlfriend all at once. Following these etches of bad luck, Eli finds employment as a driver and makes an unlikely living collecting scrap metal, which leads him on a journey where he encounters distinctive individuals, and ultimately, himself.

As the narrative unfolds, Eli's life takes an interesting and weirdly romantic turn when he crosses paths with Anya (Chelsea Lopez). Anya is a mysterious, seemingly carefree woman with one very peculiar habit – she eats hair, a condition known as trichophagia. Eli finds himself enchanted by Anya's enigma and allure, and the two quickly develop an intimate and unusual bond that transcends typical romantic norms.

As the plot progresses, Eli and Anya's relationship paves the way for a darkly humorous exploration of obsessions, compulsions, and the bizarre places love can take you. Eli embarks on an eerie but magnetic odyssey steeped in magic-realism, navigating the ups and downs of love, the horrors of addiction, and the bizarre extending towards body horror peculiarities.

Under the brilliant direction of Xander Robin, a striking cosmos is created in Are We Not Cats, where the boundaries between the beautiful and the grotesque, the normal and the abnormal blur seamlessly. Through quirky scenes and deeply drawn characters, Robin ingeniously delves into human eccentricities, compulsions, and the ways we strive to connect, even in the oddest of circumstances. His vision utilizes a colorful palette of grunge, magic-realism, and visceral body horror, coupled with a fantastic sound and visual design that laboratories the film’s broody, offbeat tone.

The performances by Michael Patrick Nicholson and Chelsea Lopez are a standout. Nicholson conveys Eli's existential struggles convincingly while carving out a character who elicits empathy despite his quirks. He brings a nuanced and earnest performance full of vulnerability, despair and redemptions that resonate with the viewers. In the role of the flamboyant Anya, Lopez embodies this multifaceted character in all its richness, delivering a performance that shines with depth and sophistication. Her portrayal of a woman battling peculiar addiction was both unsettling and stirring, and she maintains an enchanting presence throughout the film.

Are We Not Cats, is unapologetically off-beat and brazenly broody — a unique blend of the surreal, the romantic, and the grotesque. Its horror element stems not from traditional sources of fright but rather from the exploration of obsessive love and idiosyncratic habits. The film thrives on its intricate character development, hypnotic insolubility, and its ultimate narrative exploration into one of the most universal human experiences: the overpowering, dizzying, heart-stopping phenomenon we call love.

In summary, Are We Not Cats, crafted with artistic ingenuity, stylish cinematography, and bold performances, is a compelling cinematic piece that explores the depths of human desires, peculiarities, and compulsions. A haunting, enigmatic, and emotionally piercing experience that questions how far one can go in the name of love, the movie pushes viewers to confront their views on love, obsessions, and what constitutes normalcy. So, if you are seeking an unusual, thought-provoking film steeped in realism with a touch of the horrifying and bizarre, Are We Not Cats might just be the perfect fit.