The Black Cat 4K 1981 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

A small town on the outskirts of London is in an uproar over a series of mysterious murders. A Scotland Yard detective has concluded that a human could not be responsible for the deaths. The crimes share a common feature—cat paw prints and claw marks on the bodies. No one suspects that the cat belongs to an elderly professor who studies the supernatural.

Review 4K Movie

The film was made by a very intriguing creative duo of renowned masters of the “horror” genre: Italian film director Lucio Fulci and literary classic Edgar Allan Poe, whose short story the film is based on. However, the short story of the same name as the film did not receive a faithful adaptation but rather a loose interpretation based on its general themes, retaining only a couple of key iconic scenes.

Thanks to this unique interpretation of the writer’s work, the viewer is treated to an intriguing narrative set within the director’s distinctive world—a world in which he masterfully envelops the plot in a unique, mystical, and lingering atmosphere, where a mysterious enigma harmoniously coexists with terrifying, nightmarish horrors. Fortunately, the film was made during Fulci’s creative peak in the horror genre, when studios were still able to allocate sufficient funding for film production. The film does not abound in the shocking realism of mutilated props, which for many has mistakenly become synonymous with the director’s name and his talent. Here, he focuses more intently on the mystical underpinnings of the unrelenting suspense, bringing to the forefront issues concerning the ambiguous nature of the evil at play. It is difficult to pinpoint the original source of all the misfortunes and calamities depicted within the confines of a small town near London. But one thing is clear: the mystery plot will keep you on the edge of your seat, gradually revealing the nuances of the sinister alliance between the black cat and its owner, who live in the fitting setting of a secluded estate.

The exquisite cinematography masterfully transforms the frame into a vision of a graceful, devilish creature, predatory in its pursuit of its victims, as it creeps along fences or across the floor, while frequently offering hypnotic close-ups of the actors’ expressive eyes—conveying a whole range of emotions without a single word. Patrick Magee plays the key role, as always, skillfully embodying the villainous part with his natural, fitting screen charisma. His performance is particularly valuable given the film’s lengthy runtime; moreover, this was the actor’s penultimate role. Mimsy Farmer doesn’t exactly treat the viewer to a particularly intriguing character, but she does a fine job of expressing a fateful urge to get to the bottom of the truth and conveying a sense of unease when confronted with something inexplicable and deadly dangerous.

Overall, the film leaves a positive impression, even upon a second viewing, when one has the opportunity to savor in greater detail the excellent genre atmosphere, enhanced by the splendid music of maestro Pino Donaggio, which adds another layer of brilliance to this intriguing vision of a work by one distinguished figure in the genre.