The Cat with Hands (2001)

The Cat with Hands (2001)

2001 4 Minutes

Animation | Horror | Fantasy | Mystery

The story of a cat who, legend has it, longs to become human.

Overall Rating

6 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • The Cat With Hands went from tame to bizarre quicker than a cat's purr. Why is this not a full feature length film? This is the perfect example to illustrate my adoration for short films. There are no boundaries. One's imagination can be conveyed in the most creative ways, and this film proves it by utilising a combination of live action and stop motion. That's without mentioning how bizarrely creepy that cat was. A very short retelling of a story about a cat wanting to be human. Doesn't sound frightening at all. Heck, it sounds more cute than anything. But those expectations are quickly demolished when this cat quickly starts consuming bodies and mimicking specific bodily parts. What starts off with a cat with hands soon becomes a cat with hands and a human face. Gradually, the expressive imagination of director Morgan is fully realised. Turning an innocent domestic pet into a demonic creature that manifests the physical qualities of humanity. The inclusion of stop motion animation only further enhances the ominous story that is being told. The live action aspect is uninspired and reminiscent of a low-quality pantomime, so let's pretend those scenes do not exist. The sheer creativity and imagination in the stop motion is what makes this short film memorable and surprisingly eerie. It's unfortunate that the whole short isn't in the same aesthetic style, and if only it was that little bit longer to make more of an impact. Suffice to say it left me wanting more, but damn that was a harrowing four minutes. I'll never look at cats the same way...