FLOW | © Janus Films / Sideshow
As Nathaniel mentioned in his rundown of new Oscar trivia, records, and similar stats, Flow was the first film about a cat to win the Best Animated Feature Academy Award. This victory for cat people everywhere couldn't have happened to a better movie or to a more fitting cinematic year. After all, 2024 was positively full of felines on the big screen, and even some on the small. They ranged from heroic protagonists to supporting scene stealers, animated to live-action, Hollywood stars to world cinema revelations, from cute to cuter to cutest. There was even a robot kitty for those who love sci-fi. Let's look back on a year of cats…
In the realm of animation, Flow reigns supreme, and for good reason. Allow me to share a personal anecdote to wax rhapsodic about Gints Zilbalodis' work.
Recently, right after its Oscar win, I re-watched that Latvian with my nephew. At four years old, he's a bit of a tough customer as far as movies are concerned – ADHD and autism aren't the best combination when you're trying to get a kid to settle down in front of a feature-length flick. But one thing he loves is cats. In part, that's because of the time he's spent with my furry babies over the years. Long before he muttered his first word – for a time, doctors suspected he might grow up to be non-verbal – Maggie, the Cat, and Liza (Mewnelli) proved to be sources of fascination. Well, they were once the two stopped hiding and being afraid of the new human in their midst.
With them, my nephew learned a bit of patience and gentleness. I can't begin to tell you how overjoyed I was the first time he petted Maggie, ever so softly. Nowadays, he's the only person she'll even allow near her with a brush, humoring him to no end. So, we got a little cat person on our hands, meaning the fate of Zilbalodis' nameless protagonist immediately became cause for concern. It was lovely seeing him besotted by the film, engaged in ways I've seldom found him, undeterred by a lack of dialogue. Indeed, that might have helped capture his attention. By the time the Cat falls off the boat and needs to be rescued by a secretary bird, my nephew looked like he was watching an action movie, high octane emotion with every shot.
It was a sweet afternoon, scored to animal sounds and Flow's gorgeous music. There were also some meows from other audience members. Maggie and Liza are accustomed to movies, so they're not really bothered, though the latter tends to pay a bit more attention when there are felines afoot – she loves lion documentaries. My younger cats, however – Major Tom and Ziggy Stardust – were perturbed. Not so much by the Cat but by those pesky dogs that insist on befriending the feline lead of the animated parable. Still, even they settled, eventually, taking part in one of those cinematic experiences that can't be described with any other word but magic.
CHICKEN FOR LINDA! | © GKIDS
Such is the unifying power of this art we love, of Flow. And such is the wonder of cats. Keeping in the realm of animated motion pictures, 2024 also saw Jim Davis' orange creation making a return in The Garfield Movie, while Ghost Cat Anzu provided an anime alternative. For those who love shorter runtimes, there was Aurélie Galibois' Catfish, and Caleb Worcester's Under the Thicket. Chicken for Linda! rendered its cat as a splash of color, barely defined yet expressive as all hell. And in Mars Express, the sci-fi noir starts with some cat hijinks. Only, it's a cybernetic pet, easily divested of its fur to reveal the machine underneath. Still cute, still heartbreaking to see it destroyed. Sci-fi isn't the best genre for cats lately – see also, The Beast.
NOSFERATU | © Focus Features
You'd think horror kitties would have even worse luck than those futuristic pusses, but not so. Remember Greta from Nosferatu? That young lady survived to the end, got to nuzzle Nicholas Hoult and ended the film bathed in the dawn's golden sunshine, cuddled by Willem Dafoe. That's what I call living the dream. In A Quiet Place: Day One, Frodo got into his fair share of hijinks, almost getting Joseph Quinn killed because it needed to snoop on some alien eggs. Supreme cat behavior, right there, always choosing chaos, even at the end of the world. And, just like in Nosferatu, the cat survives. He also thrives, delivering an awards-worthy performance. Canines have stuff like the Palme Dog, but where's the gold for feline thespians? Justice for Frodo.
A QUIET PLACE: DAY ONE | © Paramount Pictures
Speaking of Cannes, many of 2024's best fests featured cats in their programming. Flow had its world premiere at the Croisette, of course, but so did All We Imagine as Light. Now there's a scene stealer, as cute as Anu's boyfriend, though much more charismatic. That cat's serving movie star realness, alright. In Kinds of Kindness, a gorgeous black cat gets to share the screen with Emma Stone for the triptych's second chapter. Yorgos Lanthimos may have a penchant for unsettling imagery, but he also knows how to capture the glamourous presence of an imperious cat, shooting the void with all the love and affection none of the on-screen characters know how to provide. In Hong Sang-soo's In Our Day, the first scene is dominated by a cat that's even more magnetic than the director's muse, Kim Min-hee.
KINDS OF KINDNESS | © Searchlight Pictures
From the Berlinale, we get Crossing and some Istanbul strays peppering numerous exterior shots, even demanding a few pets along the way. And then, there's Love Lies Bleeding, starring Queso in the role of Happy Meal. That pesky orange tabby almost gives away his mother to the FBI, but there's no way she could leave her son behind. At the movie's end, Happy Meal is still in the company of Kristen Stewart's Lou, escaping from their lives with Katy O'Brien's Jackie. Venice gave us fewer narrative-central kitties, but they're still worth celebrating. Adrien Brody cuddles a street cat in The Brutalist, the rebellious Virginia spends time with a barn mouser in Vermiglio, and Hit Man's Gary Johnson has two babies – a tortie named Id and little gray Ego.
That Linklater comedy gets points deduced in terms of cat movie glory because, in the end, Glen Powell seems to have ditched the cats for dogs. Sure, they're also lovely, but where are the original scene stealers? For shame. Olly, from Steve McQueen's Blitz, gets much more respect from his director, getting to participate in musical interludes besides Paul Weller on the piano. In the end, even though its home's reduced to rubble by German bombs, Olly's seen safe and sound, held by a raid warden as Elliott Heffernan's George is finally reunited with his mother. Take notes, visionary auteurs and the like – this is how you treat a feline star. None of that Hit Man nonsense.
BLITZ | © Apple TV+
Far from the respectability of film festival fare and independent cinema, cats had robust showings in the flotsam mess that was Argylle, featuring heavily in the film's plot and promotional material. Kraven the Hunter's entire narrative revolves around Aaron Taylor-Johnson acquiring lion powers, so is he another cat of the cinematic year? A very handsome one, if so. On the small screen, felines also held the spotlight that is their due. Baby Reindeer's Darrien may be the devil in the guise of a TV writer, but, at least, his insidious presence brings Fergus, the adorable Maltese, into the series. Finally, one can't celebrate 2024 screen kitties without mentioning Lucio, a majestic Maine Coon, whose accusatory stares were as worthy of Emmy glory as anything Andrew Scott did in Ripley. Damn, that cat is glorious – no wonder the actor's named King. We are all his vassals and loyal subjects. All hail our cat overlord.
RIPLEY | © Netflix
There were plenty of cats in 2024 movies and TV. What are some of your favorites I forgot to mention?