Film Review: The Cat And The Moon

In making the transition from child star to an adult actor, Alex Wolff’s choices have been interesting to watch unfold, with the roles ranging from mainstream films such as Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle to smaller fare like Hereditary. He is now making a new transition in his career with his latest film, The Cat And The Moon. It is his first effort as a writer and director. He also stars in the film as Nick, a young man who has to move to New York, and stay with Cal (Mike Epps), a friend of his recently passed father while his mother is in rehab for some kind of addiction.

The film follows Nick as he tries to adjust to life in New York, life with Cal, and life at his new school. Despite an awkward introduction, he does manage to make some new friends. We see him spend time with them around the city, partying, bonding, causing some trouble as young rowdy guys do. But as cool, calm, and collected as Nick presents himself, his anxieties, pains, and insecurities about his past and situation with his family begins to boil over, which forces him to confront those feelings that he’s been pushing inward.

There are certainly many elements about the story and about the characters that we’ve seen in plenty of coming-of-age films both past and present. Stories about aimless kids whose inner turmoil rises to the surface are by no means new, but that is no problem. What matters is whether or not the execution of those ideas ring true. In the case of The Cat And The Moon, I would say that it is by and large a success. Wolff, still being a very young person, does an admirable job at exploring these themes of isolation, loss, grief, and anger in ways that works well.

As a directorial debut, the work done by Wolff here is very confident and assured. I was especially surprised by his restraint. It’s not particularly stylized, the pacing is very patient, and he knows when to linger on emotional beats for maximum effect. Not every scene is there to push the story forward, but they offer compelling insights into the various characters like Nick or his friends. I do think the runtime, which is about several minutes short of two hours, is pushing it a bit, but it doesn’t ever feel like it had to drag itself to reach that point.

Actor-turned-directors often have a way of getting good work from their performers, even with thin material. The material here isn’t thin, but it does cover well torn territory, and despite that, the performances are strong across the board. Wolff does take the center stage for this since it is very much a character piece, and he is more than up to the task. He’s engaging, and he does a great job at showcasing how someone with unaddressed issues deep inside can manifest in unhealthy ways.

The supporting cast also does a good job at painting at painting a fuller picture of their roles than what was probably on the page. Mike Epps is fantastic as the kind of guy who feels obligated to do right by someone, and the frustrations that can come with it, especially given his character’s history with Nick’s father. Skyler Gisondo, who was a standout in Booksmart earlier this year, does great as Seamus, one of the toxic guys that Nick befriends. Stefania LaVie Owen makes a really strong impression as Seamus’ girlfriend, Eliza, who starts developing a connection with Nick. More is revealed about her as the story goes on, and it deals in some emotionally complicated stuff that she does a wonderful job with.

The Cat And The Moon isn’t going to offer a new experience to people already familiar with movies of this genre, especially of the naturalistic, New York-set, slice-of-life variety. However, as a debut feature from a young filmmaker, I was impressed. It’s engaging, moving, empathetic, and has a strong focus on character and the feelings of said characters. It doesn’t seem concerned with trying to impress the viewer as much as it is in getting them to simply follow a character’s experience. Alex Wolff has plenty of room to grow, and I’m definitely curious to see what he does if he decides to explore this career path further.