HELL'S KITTY (2018)

Releasing on DVD March 27th Hell’s Kitty is the latest horror comedy from writer/director/actor Nicholas Tana and genre specialist Wild Eye Releasing. The story follows Nick and his possessed cat, Angel, as he attempts to return her to the loving feline she once was. Everything is fine when it is just the two of them, but anytime Nick tries to develop a new relationship, it is torn to shreds both literally and figuratively.  Based on the web series of the same name, by the same creative team, it is a little bit like Pet Semetery and The Exorcist meet Daddy’s Girl.

This movie has a lot of great things going for it: a passionate creative team, the best practical effects they could hope to get, thanks to Charles Chiodo (Killer Klowns from Outer Space), and a gluttony of cameos from genre icons. I would love to tell you about all of them but spotting them is half the fun. I will say an appearance is made by a man who recently starred in a movie that’s been nominated for 13 Oscars this year. Hell’s Kitty has some genuinely funny moments, but it mostly lives in the absurdity of a demonic cat, as well as several cat puns, in an attempt to get laughs.

The weakness of this film lies mostly in its writing. I get the feeling the writers took several episodes that were never made for the web series and tied them together with interstitial scenes of Nick and his therapist. So instead of a satisfying story over the course of 98 minutes, we are given loosely connected skits that give the impression of a story. I think if Tana was willing to take a little more of a back seat when it comes to starring in the film, in order to focus on the script, it would have improved the film overall.

This is a great party film where people can call out the cameos and argue about the best segment of the movie. Based on the title of this film, how Tana says it was inspired by true events, and the popularity of the Animal Planet show, My Cat from Hell, the only conclusion that one can make is that all cats are susceptible to demonic possession and their owners must always be on alert. Look for this film on DVD later this month to know what signs you should be looking for in your cats. 


bY James Lindorf

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