Felidae (1994) Review

★★★★ out of ★★★★★

Intensity 🩸🩸🩸🩸 out of 🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

Directed and written by Michael Schaak

Eerie feline-featured animated noir horror film Felidae is loaded with thrills, chills, and jaw-dropping visuals.

Official synopsis

The long-sought-after German animated mystery about a series of unsolved murders among a group of domestic cats. Part detective story, Gothic mystery, and occult horror, the story follows green-eyed protagonist Francis (voiced by Ulrich Tukur) and his grizzled, one-eyed companion Blaubart (voiced by Mario Adorf) as they unravel the killings stretching back decades, involving death cults, genetic experimentation, and a mysterious martyr religion.

Review

Director Michael Schaak’s German animated genre-blender Felidae may have been released in 1994, but if like me you hadn’t seen it before now, it’s going to be one of the weirdest, wildest first-time watches you’re likely to experience this year. The gorgeous animation will remind you of classics from the past — Gay Purr-ee from 1962, for those who remember that feline-featured vehicle, Chuck Jones’ classic work, Disney features, you name it — but the story will immerse you in a bizarre, noirish, chilling world involving a cat cult, bloodline purification, feline sex, and much more.

The screenplay by Akif Pirinçci and Martin Kluger, based on Pirinçci’s novel, is rich in depth, sending protagonist Francis (the voice of Ulrich Tukur) — a curious cat, indeed — deeper down dangerous rabbit holes and headlong into a wild conspiracy. Along the way he meets a host of interesting characters, from rough and tough neighborhood expert Bluebeard (the voice of Mario Adorf) to kind, blind aural witness to peculiarities Felicity (the voice of Mona Seefried) to erudite Pascal (the voice of Klaus Maria Brandauer), among others.

Gore involving murders, scientific experimentations (mad science, to be sure), and fight scenes rival many a live-action fear-fare movie. The chase scenes here are as exciting as virtually any well-edited car chase from 1970s action classics.

Fair warning: Parents should watch Felidae and then decide whether their youngsters are ready for it — many might not be — and viewers who are sensitive to animal harm will want to think twice about viewing this one, too. Seasoned fright-fare aficionados are certain to find plenty to like about it, though. Deaf Crocodile’s restoration work on the film is absolutely beautiful.