CAT PEOPLE, 1942

USA | Blu-ray, Black-White, 73’ | English
Director: Jacques Tourneur
Cast: Simone Simon, Tom Conway, Kent Smith

Produced by Val Lewton, this iconic horror film redefined the genre by leaving much of the horror to the audience's imagination. Irena Dubrovna, a Serbian immigrant in Manhattan, believes an ancient curse will transform her into a cat if she becomes intimate with the man she loves. Director Jacques Tourneur builds tension through creative use of sound cues and shadows, avoiding simplistic effects. Cat People became one of the most successful films of the 1940s, marking an innovative turning point in horror cinema.

Image courtesy of Warner Bros Pictures