Film Review - Mad Cats (2023)

From first-time writer and director, Reiki Tsuno comes what might be one of the most insane films I have ever seen. Mad Cats is an action comedy that follows Taka who one day mysteriously gets a letter from someone. The letter contains a cassette that reveals where his missing brother is, he must get the wooden box that is there and avoid the people as they will kill him. As the film unfolds, we find out that the people trying to kill Taka are a group of monster cats.

This film is a wild roller coaster that whips you around left, right and centre. What stood out to me the most about this film is the humour. The humour is zany and over the top in the best way. From time-lapse jokes to jokes around action characters that stand and have flashy sword moves to the walking out of the room they just entered jokes. Every comedic moment I found to be laugh-out-loud hysterical. One joke surrounding a centipede and a cockroach comes out of nowhere and is just simply effective and funny.

What also stood out is how confident the direction is. Every shot, editing and stylistic choice has a purpose and adds layers to the film. For example, in the driving scenes that use rear projection, the footage used has this grainy and grindhouse appearance to it that is just such a vibe.

The action is very inconsistent, to be honest. Some of the action is awkwardly edited and shot for 90% of the film. Even though it is not the greatest action for 90% there are moments when the humour and action blend super well together and make up for the weaknesses. However, the final action scene is worth the price of admission. The action steps into overdrive and is shot excellently and has excellent editing. You see every punch and kick in a way that does not feel restrictive and allows the actors to showcase their talent to the best of their ability.

Ayane who plays our main character’s kind of protector, has a bright future in action cinema and I cannot wait to see what she does next. The whole cast is great, but Ayane is a true standout.

This film isn’t perfect the plot is kind of all over the place and could be described as messy as I personally feel things are not explained effectively. But I respect a film that has a vision with a director who did their best to bring that vision to life.