ShortList is supported by you, our amazing readers. When you click through the links on our site and make a purchase we may earn a commission. Learn more

Netflix's latest psychological thriller is a true tale that shocked the world

Prepare to be shook - just don't read the reviews

Netflix's latest psychological thriller is a true tale that shocked the world

Prepare to be shook, for Netflix has added a new psychological thriller that's poised to weird you into submission.

Introducing Cat Person, the latest creepy big screen tale stemming from a bizarre real life encounter.

Based on a very real story first reported in the New Yorker by Kristen Roupenian back in 2017, Cat Person is a twisting tale stemming from a chance encounter in a cinema foyer.

Transformed into a big screen release back in 2023, the viral short story gripped the internet, with this bizarre first date tale spiralling into a story that resonated with an entire generation.

Described as "nightmare-ish" by major news outlets including The Times, this is one film that captures the dating sphere where millenials-meets-Gen-Z are concerned.

The premise is simple: Margot, a 20-year-old sophomore college student, meets Robert, a 34-year-old man who's a regular at the movie theatre where she works.

However, things take a suitably dark turn when an in-person date with Robert (played by Succession's Nicholas Braun) leaves Margo (played by CODA's Emilia Jones) stumped.

A genre-bending release, the film explored the horrors of modern dating - and how humans can make truly dangerous projections about strangers we barely even know.

In this instance, using a ping-pong of a text messages.

Directed by Susanna Fogel, the release received less-than-positive reviews when it was first hit cinemas back in 2023, gaining a tepid critics' score of just 47% on Rotten Tomatoes.

However, it's a film that continues to perform - primarily down to the popularity of the original tale.

Described by Variety as "“a squirmy, uncomfortable movie no teenager wants to watch with their mom, but maybe everyone should,” this is a tale that proves reality can really be stranger than fiction.

The Guardian labelled it a "tense adaptation", The Times describes the release as a "nightmare-ish daydream".

However, the Independent described the film as "the cinematic equivalent of the loudest person in the room with the least amount to say."

Ouch.

Either way, we feel this film will soar up the charts - if only thanks to the viral and intriguing nature of the original story.

Cat Person is available to stream on Netflix now,