Cat Person: release date UK, plot, cast, trailer and is it based on the short story by Kristen Roupenian?

Cat Person premiered to rave reviews at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023. Created by award-winning director Susanna Fogel, it is based on the short story of the same name by Kristen Roupenian.

The story follows Margot (Emilia Jones) a young student who starts dating Robert (Nicholas Braun) after a chance meeting at work. What starts out as a romantic comedy soon becomes a horror story as Margot begins to realise Robert is not the person he portrayed himself to be.

Cat Person was first published in The New Yorker in December 2017, just as the #MeToo Movement was taking off. The story prompted important conversations around consent and the reality many women face when online dating. So, how can you watch it on the big screen? Here's everything you need to know about the Cat Person film.

When can I watch Cat Person?

Cat Person is available to watch in select UK cinemas from Friday October 27. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2023 and currently is not available to watch on streaming platforms, but we're hoping it won't be long until it makes its online debut.

What is Cat Person about?

Cat Person follows the story of Margot, a student who meets a charming guy whilst working in a cinema. He seems the real deal, telling her has pet cats, but after a deeply uncomfortable sexual encounter she starts to question everything if everything has all been a lie from the beginning.

Here is the official synopsis for Cat Person: "When Margot (Emilia Jones), a college sophomore goes on a date with the older Robert (Nicholas Braun), she finds that IRL Robert doesn’t live up to the Robert she has been flirting with over texts. Cat Person is a razor-sharp exploration of the gender divide, the quagmire of navigating modern dating and the dangerous projections we make in our minds about the person at the other end of our phones."

Is there a trailer?

Yes, the trailer for Cat Person was released on August 24. The quote, "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them," from Margaret Atwood features in the trailer, perfectly summing up the different perspectives of both our main characters. You can watch the trailer for Cat People below.

Who is in the cast for Cat Person?

Cat Person stars Oscar-nominated actress Emilia Jones (CODA) in the lead as Margot, a young student who works in a cinema and meets a guy who is not at all like he seems. Nicholas Braun, who is best known for his portrayal of Greg Hirsh in Succession plays the role of Robert, the man she has been texting, who doesn't actually end up having cats.

Geraldine Viswanathan (Miracle Workers) plays Margot's best friend Taylor who is helping her get to the bottom of things. Whilst the rest of the cast includes big names such as Isabella Rossellini (Blue Velvet) and Michael Gandolfini (The Many Saints of Newark).

Here is the full cast line-up for Cat Person:

• Emilia Jones as Margot
• Nicholas Braun as Robert
• Geraldine Viswanathan as Taylor
• Hope Davis as Kelly
• Liza Koshy as Beth
• Michael Gandolfini as Peter
• Isabella Rossellini as Dr Enid Zabala

Is Cat Person based on the short story by Kristen Roupenian?

Cat Person is an adaptation of the short story of the same name that was published in The New Yorker in December 2017. Written by Kristen Roupenian, it tells the story of a young girl who meets the perfect guy online only for his lies to unravel before her eyes.

The story became a viral sensation after it was released during the height of the #MeToo movement. It kickstarted important conversations around consent and the realities of online dating. Following its success Roupenian has continued writing and released her first collection of short stories, "You Know You Want This" in 2019.