Are We Not Cats is a 2016 horror romance film written and directed by Xander Robin, about two strangers who spark romance through an unusual habit. The film stars Michael Patrick Nicholson, Chelsea Lopez, and Michael Godere.
The film premiered at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival and was listed as one of the top 10 horror films of 2018 by Rotten Tomatoes.
Synopsis
After losing his job, girlfriend, and home in a single day, Eli, a desperate twenty-something accepts a delivery job in a remote upstate backwater. There he meets Anya, a beguiling young woman with whom he shares a strange habit. Eli's skin picking is reminiscent of Excoriation disorder and Trichotillomania, while Anya's hair picking is reminiscent of Trichotillomania and Trichophagia, leading to a climactic case of Rapunzel syndrome.
Cast
Michael Patrick Nicholson as Eli
Chelsea Lopez as Anya
Michael Godere as Kyle
Dean Holtermann as Al
Charles Gould as Ari
Adeline Thery as Madeline
Alice Frank as Alice
Tuffy Questell as Dennis
Theodore Bouloukos as Dr. Mooney
Carson Grant as Hawke
Joe Buldo as Jack
Ernst Zorin as Shvitzer Sam
Marika Daciuk as Sonia
Bill Weeden as Diner Dad
Alex Goldberg as Max
Release
The film had its world premiere at the 73rd Venice International Film Festival as the closing film of the Critics Week sidebar, and its U.S. premiere at the Chicago International Film Festival, as well as screening at 2016 Sitges Film Festival, 2016 Stockholm International Film Festival, 2016 Oldenburg International Film Festival and winning best narrative feature at the 2017 Sidewalk Film Festival. Are We Not Cats was released in North America in 2018 by Cleopatra Entertainment.
It was later released to stream on Shudder.
Reception
The film holds a rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 reviews.