Ahead of its hotly anticipated August 22nd premiere at this year’s FrightFest, CinemaChords has scored an exclusive clip from Don’t Let the Cat Out—a feral new horror-comedy from the unhinged minds behind last year’s festival darling Ladybug.
Helmed by Tim Cruz, a Filipino immigrant and first-generation American whose roots in music video and television are smeared all over the film’s punchy visuals and pitch-black humor, this is the kind of cult oddity that scratches and bites.
Don’t Let the Cat Out blends Halloween horror with offbeat, darkly comic energy. Starring Anthony Del Negro(Ladybug, Running Point), Jordan James Smith (New Girl, Bones), and horror mainstay Cerina Vincent (Cabin Fever), the film nods to retro genre traditions while spinning a uniquely twisted tale of home invasion and supernatural obsession.
Del Negro—who also wrote and produced the film—draws inspiration from his own unsettling stint as a house sitter. In the film, his character Charlie agrees to watch over a house on Halloween, expecting a low-key night in. But things take a sharp turn when he’s kidnapped by the home’s owners, who plan to use his body in a ritual to resurrect their deceased cat.
Produced by Shane O’Brien, Zach O’Brien, and Anthony Del Negro, the film quietly stakes its claim as one to watch on the midnight movie circuit.
But for director Tim Cruz, Don’t Let the Cat Out is more than just a bizarre tale of Halloween gone wrong. Beneath the surface-level strangeness and pitch-black humor, there’s something more personal at work — a story about grief, fear, and the strange ways people try to make sense of loss.
“Through this film, I aim to evoke a sense of empathy and understanding in viewers, encouraging them to confront their own grief and find solace in the shared human experience of mourning,” Cruz says. “DON’T LET THE CAT OUT is a testament to the power of facing our deepest fears, the catharsis that comes with acceptance, and the surprising humor that can be found even in the darkest of times.”
Grief, madness, or just an unusually bad night of house sitting — Don’t Let the Cat Out doesn’t offer easy answers. But whatever it is, it’s making its debut at FrightFest this week.
We’ve got an exclusive first look at what’s in store.
Watch the clip below.
All screening details are available here on the FrightFest website and we’ll leave you with the film’s full trailer below:
