The defence The Popcorn Loyalist
“It owes the canon nothing.”
The movie pursues immediacy and audience pleasure without begging institutions to certify its worth.
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Nine Lives
Fantasy · Comedy · Family · 2016
A stuffy businessman finds himself trapped inside the body of his family's cat.
Movie details
Nine Lives
“His life just got put on paws.”
2016 Fantasy · Comedy · Family 1h 27m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
5.8 / 10
Community rating
A stuffy businessman finds himself trapped inside the body of his family's cat.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Nine Lives?
For the defence
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Big-Idea Head
“You watch with your brain, not your gut.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Bogus
Fantasy · 1996
Recently orphaned, a young boy is taken in by his godmother who is shocked to realize that she can see the boy's imaginary friend: a flamboyant, French magician named Bogus.
Imagine That
Family · 2009
A financial executive who can't stop his career downspiral is invited into his daughter's imaginary world, where solutions to his problems await.
Candy Cane Lane
Comedy · 2023
Determined to win the neighborhood's annual Christmas decorating contest, family man Chris makes a pact with an elf to help him out-do the competition. However, the elf casts a spell bringing the twelve days of Christmas to life, unleashing chaos on the small unsuspecting town.
Freaky Friday
Fantasy · 1976
School girl Annabel is hassled by her mother, and Mrs. Andrews is annoyed with her daughter, Annabel. They both think that the other has an easy life. On a normal Friday morning, both complain about each other and wish they could have the easy life of their daughter/mother for just one day and their wishes come true as a bit of magic puts Annabel in Mrs. Andrews' body and vice versa. They both have a Freaky Friday.
The Cat from Outer Space
Comedy · 1978
A UFO is stranded on earth and impounded by the US government. Its pilot, a cat with a collar that gives it special powers, including the ability to communicate with humans, has eluded the authorities and seeks the help of a scientist in order to reclaim and repair his ship and get back home.
Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure
Animation · 2013
Tom And Jerry are among the last animals living in Storybook Town, a fairy tale-inspired theme park "where dreams come true, if you believe."
Stuart Little
Family · 1999
When the Littles adopt Stuart, the mouse, George is initially unwelcoming to his new brother, and the family cat, Snowbell, is even less enthusiastic. Stuart resolves to face these difficulties with as much pluck and courage as he can muster.
The Legend of Ochi
Family · 2025
In a remote village on the island of Carpathia, a shy farm girl named Yuri is raised to fear an elusive animal species known as ochi. But when Yuri discovers a wounded baby ochi has been left behind, she escapes on a quest to bring him home.
The Secret Life of Pets
Animation · 2016
The quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray whom Max instantly dislikes.
The Jungle Book
Adventure · 2016
After a threat from the tiger Shere Khan, Mowgli, a man-cub fostered by wolves, is forced to flee the jungle, and he embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the help of the panther, Bagheera, and the free-spirited bear, Baloo.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Barry Sonnenfeld
Written by
Daniel Antoniazzi · Ben Shiffrin · Gwyn Lurie · Matt Allen
Kevin Spacey
Tom Brand
Jennifer Garner
Lara Brand
Robbie Amell
David Brand
Cheryl Hines
Madison Camden
Mark Consuelos
Ian Cox
Malina Weissman
Rebecca Brand
Christopher Walken
Felix Perkins
Court is in session
Put Nine Lives on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Big-Idea Head
“Easy pleasure, short half-life.”
It moves efficiently through the moment but offers little reason to keep arguing once the credits end.