By Robert Scucci
| Published 20 seconds ago
Putting down a beloved family pet is never an easy thing to do, but sometimes it’s the most humane option when their health is in rapid decline and the suffering is obvious. 2014’s Murder of a Cat explores what could go wrong when a freak accident involving a crossbow and a cat named Mousers spirals into a bizarre web of conspiracy involving the cat’s secret second owner, a big-box retailer, and a trail of receipts that makes no sense until our hero does enough digging that the Sheriff isn’t willing to do himself.
Murder of a Cat borrows noir mystery thriller beats but frames them as a comedy, which makes for an unexpectedly engaging watch as our hero and his unlikely ally try to figure out who murdered their cat, leaving no stone unturned in the process. With every step closer they get to the truth, new complications arise, and nearly everyone they cross paths with becomes a potential suspect in Mousers’ murder.
Clinton, Greta, Mousers, And Horatio
Murder of a Cat opens by establishing Clinton’s (Fran Kranz) family dynamic. He lives with his mother Edie (Blythe Danner), tries to make a living selling figurines he creates while living in her basement, and regularly butts heads with Sheriff Hoyle (J.K. Simmons), who also happens to be romantically involved with his mother. A loner for obvious reasons, Clinton’s best friend is his 17-year-old cat, Mousers. Mousers comes and goes as he pleases and is shamelessly spoiled by Clinton because, in Clinton’s eyes, they’re ride-or-die partners in life.
When Mousers is suddenly killed by an arrow, Clinton refuses to let his death go unresolved. Sheriff Hoyle assures Clinton that he will look into the murder, but seems far more interested in spending time with Edie than actually investigating. Taking matters into his own hands, Clinton retraces Mousers’ steps to a senior living home, where he meets Greta (Nikki Reed), who lives there for the cheap rent. Greta reveals that she had also been caring for the same cat, though she knew him as Horatio.
Sheriff Hoyle eventually deduces that the cat had been living a double life, bouncing between two owners to double his meals and affection. Clinton is left with the unfortunate task of breaking the news to Greta that her beloved Horatio has been murdered.
While attempting to trace the arrow back to its source, Clinton and Greta find themselves at Ford’s Megastore, owned by Al Ford (Greg Kinnear). Al is visibly uneasy about Greta’s presence, as she recently quit working for him under questionable circumstances. This immediately raises Clinton’s suspicions that Greta might be hiding something. Although it’s revealed that Ford’s Megastore carries the specific crossbow model that could have been used in Clinton/Horatio’s murder, there is no paper trail linking the weapon to that particular location. This sends Clinton and Greta on a wild goose chase to uncover who actually killed their beloved cat.
Would Have Worked Better As A Short
Murder of a Cat clearly enjoys its own premise, but it feels stretched thin across its 90-minute runtime. Fran Kranz and Nikki Reed have solid chemistry as reluctant antagonists turned allies, and the mystery is entertaining enough to keep things moving. J.K. Simmons and Blythe Danner make for an amusing older couple whose frustration with Clinton’s arrested development is obvious and consistently funny, especially as his investigation escalates.
The issue is that the mystery itself never fully earns its payoff, which makes much of the investigative buildup feel underwhelming by the end. That said, Murder of a Cat remains worth watching for its performances and off-beat tone. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that this would have worked far better as a single episode of an anthology series rather than a feature-length film.
Murder of a Cat is currently streaming on Tubi.
