Cat People

Play trailer

Cat People

1942

1h 13m

Horror

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

72 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), a New York City–based fashion designer who hails from Serbia, begins a romance with marine engineer Oliver Reed (Kent Smith). After the couple gets married, Oliver becomes concerned about Irena's notion that she is cursed and may transform into a large cat in the heat of passion. Confiding in his beautiful assistant, Alice Moore (Jane Randolph), about his marital issues, Oliver unwittingly triggers Irena's curse, with tragic results.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Influential noir director Jacques Tourneau infused this sexy, moody horror film with some sly commentary about the psychology and the taboos of desire.

Read Critics Reviews

Mildred Martin

Philadelphia Inquirer

Dec 30, 2020

A weird little chiller called Cat People... is calculated to frighten you out of your wits and make you think twice before trusting anyone who arouses a feline's instinctive dislike.

Go to Full Review

Len G. Shaw

Detroit Free Press

Dec 30, 2020

Simone makes her way through his combination of phantasy and reality, and comes off creditably in a part that calls for emotional repression.

Go to Full Review

Mae Tinée

Chicago Tribune

Dec 30, 2020

Photography and settings are effective, and the naturalness of the dialog issuing from such a murk of the fantastic is very impressive.

Go to Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 13, 2025

4/4

Even with challenges from (among others) Psycho and The Wolf Man, it’s likely that 1942’s Cat People is my all-time favorite horror film. It's a masterpiece of the genre.

Go to Full Review

Peter Bell

Vague Visages

Jun 22, 2023

Director Tourneur utilizes the rich imagery of the King John legend and the Cat People throughout the film.

Go to Full Review

Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

Dec 6, 2022

4/5

It's a classic for a reason.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Robert P

@Superbad Oct 4, 2026

Cat People is a *4* star Movie!

See more

revolver.0 8

@Revolver08 Sep 7, 2026

There is a good theme and some scenes for horror generation to come, but it’s also too silly, so as acting

See more

Ollie W

@RT90619198 Aug 9, 2026

It’s a simple story. Oliver Reed is likeable as the husband who struggles with his foreign wife’s superstitious beliefs. There’s some suspense but it’s not much of a horror film - it’s more of a strained love story. The premise is pretty silly: a woman can’t have physical intimacy with her husband lest she turn into a killer cat. But it works as a time capsule with nice cinematography.

See more

Homu L

@AkemiLord May 3, 2026

Fantastic movie. I really enjoyed watching this. Great film!

See more

Mickey B.

@Mickerdoo Dec 26, 2025

Although handsomely filmed, ultimately plays out pretty mild. Simon and Randolph were good. Maybe more jump of gnarling?

See more

Isaiah Y

@zayman2 Oct 22, 2025

Worthwhile Horror Flick

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Jacques Tourneur

Director

Simone Simon

Irena Dubrovna Reed

Kent Smith

Oliver Reed

Tom Conway

Dr. Louis Judd

Jane Randolph

Alice Moore

Jack Holt

The Commodore

The Curse of the Cat People

88%

65%

The Curse of the Cat People

Watchlist

The Leopard Man

90%

64%

The Leopard Man

Watchlist

The Seventh Victim

96%

62%

The Seventh Victim

Watchlist

Isle of the Dead

91%

53%

Isle of the Dead

Watchlist

The Body Snatcher

86%

75%

The Body Snatcher

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Know Your Critic: Nguyên Lê, Freelance Film Critic

On DVD This Week: Neighbors 2, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows, and More

18 Memorable Horror Remakes

View more photos

Synopsis

Irena Dubrovna (Simone Simon), a New York City–based fashion designer who hails from Serbia, begins a romance with marine engineer Oliver Reed (Kent Smith). After the couple gets married, Oliver becomes concerned about Irena's notion that she is cursed and may transform into a large cat in the heat of passion. Confiding in his beautiful assistant, Alice Moore (Jane Randolph), about his marital issues, Oliver unwittingly triggers Irena's curse, with tragic results.

Director: Jacques Tourneur
Producer: Val Lewton
Screenwriter: DeWitt Bodeen
Production Co: RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 6, 1942, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 17, 2016
Runtime: 1h 13m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings