If you’re feeling the spine-tingling chills of October, you’ll be happy to know that Amazon Prime Video’s newest movie additions include some really fun, scary and underrated options for your Halloween celebrations.
This month, Watch With Us is spotlighting Cat People, a 1982 horror film with an erotic twist, for you to check out.
Read on to learn why our team loves this spooky and sexy film — and why it should be on your October 2025 movie watch list.
It’s an Original Creature Feature That Stands Out Among Countless Reboots
In an age where It, Nosferatu, Frankenstein and other monster movies are constantly being reimagined — and intellectual property is king — it’s nice to look back at a movie (and indeed, a monster) that stands out as completely original. Cat People introduces audiences to werecats, a race of people who transform into panthers.
The main character in Cat People, Irena Gallier (Nastassja Kinski), grew up in foster care, separated from her older brother Paul (Malcolm McDowell) and unaware of her feline heritage. When, as an adult, she travels to New Orleans to reunite with Paul, she begins to learn about the disturbing transformations that plague her family — and the strange sexual intensity that comes part and parcel with the metamorphosis.
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It Embraces Sexuality for a Shocking, Truly Erotic Horror Thriller
In Cat People, werecat transformations are inexorably linked to sex and to violence — Paul transforms whenever he has sex with a human, and the only way to change back is to kill a human. When Irena meets Oliver (John Heard), they share an attraction and connection, but she is terrified to consummate their relationship for fear of hurting him. Meanwhile, Paul becomes obsessed with his sister, convinced that she is destined to be his true mate.
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While other monster movies, like vampire narratives, disguise sex in metaphor, Cat People embraces it wholeheartedly, leaning into the idea that sex can transform a relationship — and that every interaction changes once it enters the picture. While the concept isn’t exactly subtle, it’s refreshing to see an ’80s horror film tackle sexuality so frankly, without obscuring it in layers of deception.
It’s Perfect to Watch in October
Cat People’s special and practical effects aren’t mind-blowing, but they’re creepy, atmospheric and intentional. A rusty, visually intense color palette transports the viewer from the very first scene — in which Irena and Paul’s ancestors make a human sacrifice to a leopard — and suffuses every subsequent scene with eerie surrealism.
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If you’re looking to impress your friends with a Halloween deep cut that will genuinely surprise them, Cat People might just be the perfect film for you this month.
Watch Cat People on Amazon Prime Video.
