Director – Dave Jackson (Cannibal Suburbia, The Snuff Machine)
Starring – Matthew C. Vaughn (The Peep Jeep, TV Man), Shian Denovan (A Portentous Death, Lord of Darkness), and Jeni Bezuidenhout (Death by Bloom, Fantastic Fiction)
Release Date – 2015
Rating – 3/5
Tagline – “All he needs is nine lives”
A few days back I decided it was time to check out the action comedy The VelociPastor that was sent my way from Wild Eye Releasing. I really enjoyed it and it inspired me to watch more indie films. After watching Till Death Do We Rot and M.O.M. (Mothers of Monsters) I decided to give Wild Eye another visit.
This time I went with the 2015 film Cat Sick Blues. This is another one of their releases that I had been eyeing for sometime and after it was recommend by Cover Your Corpse founder Tyler Harris I decided to give it a spin. Thanks Wild Eye for allowing Horror Society and myself the opportunity to check this one out.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a young woman who was madly in love with her cat. After posting several videos and pictures of her feline companion she accumulated a following on social media. One day an unusual fan found her address and paid her a visit to see the beautiful little cat but soon became violent. He kills the cat and rapes the young woman. The incident leaves her scared and she seeks out a support group for pet owners. She eventually meets a young man who recently lost his cat as well. The two start talking but when news of some murders taken place in her neighbor she starts to suspect that mister perfect may be responsible for the killings.**Spoiler Alert**
I saw this a lot but I never know what to expect when I toss in an indie horror flick. There is so many different flavors of horror out there that it’s hard to find a filmmaker that is able to offer up something new and unique. I think that is why I liked Cat Sick Blues so well. It wasn’t a film that reinvented the serial killer sub-genre of horror but it did put a little bit of a different spin on it. Dave Jackson and company does a solid job with the film. Sure, it’s a simple story but the cat aspect was fun and great for a first time watch.
The acting in this one is inconsistent but not bad. The film’s leads, Matthew C. Vaughn and Shian Denovan, do a fantastic job. I loved both characters and how well they worked against each other. The chemistry between the two worked and the characters really do come to life on screen. The supporting cast is where the film gets a little iffy. I wouldn’t say the acting is bad but some of the cast does show inexperience. It doesn’t pull the scene down but does give the viewer several levels of acting skills.
The story for this one is simple, somewhat funny, but works a serial killer flick. We get a lot of slashers, true crime horror, cannibals, but never a film centered around a serial killer that much anymore. Usually if someone is killing it falls under these other sub-genres but this one works very well as we watch a serial killer grow his body count as he mentally breaks. It’s not a slasher or a cat and mouse type film. Instead, we get someone who kills, why they kill, and how they kill. It works and really pulled me in.
Finally, if you are looking for blood and gore you will only find the one here. The film has some blood but those of you looking for some sick and twisted kills with plenty of gore will be very disappointed. The practical effects we do get are solid but nothing memorable. Overall, Cat Sick Blues is a highly entertaining character piece that really works well with the story they have. It’s nothing extreme but it is entertaining. It doesn’t have much of a replay value but it is very fun for a first time watch. Check it out now on DVD from Wild Eye.
