The Cat

In the crowded field of crime thrillers, The Cat (Die Katze) stands out for its cerebral, slow-burn approach. While films like Heat and Dog Day Afternoon defined the era with explosive set pieces and intense character dynamics, Dominik Graf’s The Cat opts for restraint—sometimes a cinematic turn-on, but just as often empty foreplay.

The premise is undeniably intriguing. Probek (Götz George), a supposed criminal mastermind, commands an entire bank heist from afar with the calm efficiency of a chess grandmaster. He’s smooth, manipulative, and frustratingly untouchable by the police—a character cut from the same cloth as Michael Mann’s coldly calculating criminals. But Probek is a breed apart from his American counterparts. His emotional cruelty is a carry-over from a different era, echoing the stubborn ‘70s aesthetic when criminals truly lacked compassion and the cops chasing them were blue-collar slobs.  In that sense, The Cat shares much more DNA withThe Taking of Pelham 123 than Die Hard released the same year.

Graf’s film is more reserved and intellectual, favoring psychological tension over action…although they both end with a long, long fall.  The Cat makes you read between the lines, pulling out backstories for each character with a few dribbled facts and betrayals. It’s a more mature approach to a genre that usually saves most of its secrets for the heist itself.  But the film rarely breaks out of its cool, minimalist shell. You’re waiting for the moment when everything will explode—and it never quite does.

That’s not to say the film doesn’t have its strengths. Graf’s direction is slick and the movie drips with ‘80s style.  He shares director John McTiernan’s love of slow-motion spectacle and its ability to make a moment feel bigger than the confines of the screen.  But for all that, there’s no character amidst the labyrinthian heist mechanics for the audience to root for or against.  The Cat ends up feeling like the cool, aloof cousin that never quite joins the party…pal.

The Radiance 3000-copy limited edition Blu-ray includes a new transfer overseen by the director, interviews with the filmmaking team and select-scene commentary from Graf plus liner notes and newly commissioned artwork.