#5 - Cat People (1942)

Cat People (1942)

Another Val Lewton classic (I recently bought this Val Lewton box set, which has nine films plus two documentaries for $26, an awesome deal if you are a vintage horror fan). This movie is a perfect example of Lewton's style, taking a seemingly ridiculous premise and turning it into a tense, atmospheric thriller. A man meets a young woman, Irena, at the zoo, where she is sketching a panther in a cage. They quickly fall in love, and get married, perhaps too hastily. Irena is from Serbia, where she believed that her entire village was cursed (or something) and basically thinks she will turn into a huge ravenous cat if any of her passions are aroused (lust, jealousy, anger, etc). Guess what? Her passions get aroused. This film does a great job of keeping the supernatural aspect ambiguous, and even by the end it's not clear whether or not Irena can actually turn into a panther or not. A great classic thriller.