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The Cat's Meow

The Cat's Meow

Drama · Mystery · Thriller · 2002

Semi-true story of the Hollywood murder that occurred at a star-studded gathering aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924.

Movie details

The Cat's Meow

“Some secrets won't stay buried.”

2002 Drama · Mystery · Thriller 1h 54m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.8 / 10

Community rating

Semi-true story of the Hollywood murder that occurred at a star-studded gathering aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924.

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 The Cat's Meow?

The 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.

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Gosford Park

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In Acapulco, Hercule Poirot attends a dinner party in which one of the guests clutches his throat and suddenly dies. The causes seem to be natural until another party with most of the same guests produces another corpse.

Madame X

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Drama · 1966

Holly Parker, the wife of a wealthy diplomat, is compromised by the accidental death of a man who has been romantically pursuing her. She is forced by her mother-in-law to assume a new identity in order to save the reputation of her husband and infant son. She wanders the world, trying to forget her heartbreak with the aid of alcohol and unsavory men. Eventually returning to the city of her downfall, she murders a blackmailer who threatens to expose her past. Amazingly, Holly is represented at her murder trial by her now adult son, who has become a public defender. In the hope of protecting her family, she refuses to reveal her real name and is known to the court as "Madame X".

The Critic

The Critic

Thriller · 2024

Jimmy Erskine is the most feared theatre critic of the age. He lives as flamboyantly as he writes and takes pleasure in savagely taking down any actor who fails to meet his standards. When the owner of the Daily Chronicle dies, and his son takes over, Jimmy quickly finds himself at odds with his new boss and his position under threat. In an attempt to preserve the power and influence he holds so sacred, Jimmy strikes a Faustian pact with a struggling actress, entangling them and the boss in a thrilling but deadly web of desire, blackmail, and betrayal.

The Conspirator

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A Call to Spy

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Agatha and the Truth of Murder

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Drama · 2018

England, December 1926. Although her personal life is in tatters, the famous writer Agatha Christie decides to leave everything behind to help unravel an unsolved murder committed on a train six years ago, unable to imagine the disproportionate consequences that such a selfless act will cause.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Peter Bogdanovich

Written by

Steven Peros

Kirsten Dunst

Kirsten Dunst

Marion Davies

Edward Herrmann

Edward Herrmann

W. R. Hearst

Suzy Eddie Izzard

Suzy Eddie Izzard

Charlie Chaplin

Cary Elwes

Cary Elwes

Thomas Ince

Joanna Lumley

Joanna Lumley

Elinor Glyn

Jennifer Tilly

Jennifer Tilly

Louella Parsons

Claudia Harrison

Claudia Harrison

Margaret Livingston

Court is in session

Put The Cat's Meow on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.