Slamdance 2023 Review: Reiki Tsuno’s MAD CATS, An Endearing Road Adventure That Hails The Arrival Of A New Martial Arts Action Star
If you regularly take in Asian movies, then you can certainly understand director Reiki Tsuno’s logic and motivation of late. Citing a need for Japanese filmgoing audiences to enjoy “fun movies that make you feel happy,” it comes as no surprise that he would create a film that centers its narrative on one of the most enigmatic yet culturally beloved domestic mammals, particularly in Japan. What’s impressive, of course, is the degree to which Tsuno pulls this feat off in his feature directorial debut, Mad Cats, which screens for Slamdance this weekend. Prefacing our story is an opening sequence host to an eerie hilltop with five women in white gowns, standing several feet apart from one another as they stare off into the windy distance. That shot is soon followed by a woman creeping down a dark flight of steps with an ax in hand, just before using it to […]
