Cat Skin 2017 Movie Review

『Whispers Blooming Beyond the Silent Lens』

🎥 Movie Overview

🎬 Title: Cat Skin (2017)
🌍 Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🎞️ Genre: Drama / Romance / Queer
⏳ Runtime: 80 minutes
📢 Director: Daniel Grasskamp

👩‍💼 Cast: Jodie Hirst – as Cat
Caspian Faye – as April

🧩 Story Deep Dive (Spoilers)

🐱 The Isolated Observer: Symbolism of Cat and Photography

Cat is an introverted and troubled photography student. Her life revolves around the responsibility of caring for her sick mother, her sense of alienation at school, and the only being who understands her—her cat.

• The role of the camera lens: For Cat, the camera is not just a tool. It is a shield against the world, a way to observe and possess safely. She fears forming direct connections with others, instead hiding behind the lens to capture their images. This voyeuristic act reflects her deep loneliness and isolation.
• Bond with her cat: As the title suggests, the most important presence in Cat’s life is her cat. The cat symbolizes pure comfort, accepting her without social judgment or expectations. The process of Cat metaphorically shedding her protective 'Skin'—inspired by her bond with her cat—represents her painful but necessary growth as she begins to reveal her identity and vulnerability to the world.

📸 Clash of Light and Shadow: Analysis of Cat and April’s Relationship

Cat’s isolated world changes dramatically when she meets April, a charismatic and popular music student.

🌟 A Stark Contrast

If Cat embodies the dark and introverted “shadow,” April represents the bright, outgoing “light.” Cat begins obsessively photographing April, at first in an unstable way, but eventually, their relationship develops into a romantic one.

🌈 Confusion and Liberation of Sexual Identity

April, who has a boyfriend (Steven), finds herself drawn to Cat, experiencing confusion about her sexuality. At first, she insists she is heterosexual, but through her relationship with Cat, she comes to acknowledge her feelings and begins to resist her oppressive environment—her possessive boyfriend and her disapproving mother—thereby discovering her true self. Their bond portrays a realistic and poignant portrait of queer teenage romance struggling against social pressure.

🖤 Chemistry in Silence

The film conveys emotions not through extensive dialogue but through the subtle exchanges of glances and delicate gestures between the two leads. This “unsaid” communication effectively captures the hidden and unstable emotions of teenage girls.

🌧️ Vulnerability, Violence, and Growth

Cat Skin goes beyond romance to address the vulnerability and societal violence encountered in the process of growing up.

• External hostility: The relationship between Cat and April is threatened by two powerful external forces: April’s possessive boyfriend and her mother’s disapproval of homosexuality. These characters represent the homophobia and controlling environments that queer teens often face, highlighting the risks and courage required to protect one’s feelings.
• The cost of growth: vulnerability: Cat once tried to control the world through her photography, but by opening up to April, she must expose her most vulnerable self. Putting down the lens and meeting someone’s eyes directly symbolizes the cost of moving beyond isolation to build true love and connection. The film shows that while love may bring deep wounds, it is through those wounds that growth becomes possible.

🎬 Despite its modest budget, Cat Skin succeeds in portraying both the complex inner world of queer youth and the intensity of first love through skilled cinematography and the authenticity of its actors’ performances.

🎯 Personal Rating

💕 Love Scene Intensity: ♥♥♥
⭐ Rating: ★★★