An intoxicating fur ball of Body Horror and Hipster sensibilities, Booger is certainly one of the most original takes on the psychological thriller. And who doesn’t love cats? Lots of people don’t, and I don’t like those people.

Let’s give it up for masterful debut films, especially when helmed by a female or gender non-conforming writer-director. The joy it brings me is unmatched. The sheer veracity and oomph coming out of indie studios as of late, is a breath of the freshest air. Mary Dauterman is no exception. This is such a damn cool movie. She and the team should be so proud. There are confident debuts and films that hint at a future auteur; this is both!

New Yorker Anna has just suffered the sudden and unexpected death of her best friend and roommate, Izzy. She’s trying to handle this loss when Izzy’s cat, Booger, runs away. Anna goes on a desperate search to find him, and in the process, she is bitten on the hand by the cat. She soon begins to take on feline characteristics, and her work life and relationship with her boyfriend start to go downhill.

One of my all-time favourite TV shows is Search Party, and Booger would fit into that universe like a glove.
A meaty array of wry satire and (potentially) unlikeable characters, but delivered in such a way that it never loses any charm. This subject matter could be a disaster in the hands of someone less passionate, clued-in and unafraid to take big leaps, but Dauterman knows exactly what she’s doing.

Grace Glowicki is awesome in the lead role of Anna. I hadn’t seen the work of Grace before this, and I’m super excited to keep seeing her on the big or small screen. Her performance range is wide and detailed. I felt like I was in the hands of an absolute pro, guiding me through this insane journey with the effortlessness of cutting through warm butter. Dauterman and Glowicki make us feel like a fly-on-the-wall whilst simultaneously living in Anna’s head.

Garrick Bernard plays the all-too-kind, genuinely sweet boyfriend with dexterity. I felt for him, constantly wrestling with my opinions of Anna, especially when the two hit a rough patch. It was a nice surprise to see Heather Matarazzo (The Princess Diaries) again after her appearance in 2022’s Scream 5. She’s a quirky 2000s icon, and her take on the at-one-with-the-animals pet store clerk was glorious.

A stand-out performance was found in Marcia DeBonis as Izzy’s grieving mother. She holds it together – amongst the shenanigans – with complete realism, trying very hard to appear stronger than her true feelings will allow. She tugged at my heartstrings with every appearance.

Sofia Dobrushin, who is mainly seen in flashbacks, maintained a captivating presence, albeit not being “seen” in the present. There was a longing and curiosity in her stare that drove me to care about a character I “never” met. With the help of Glowicki, the duo pulled it off with gusto, and considering it was probably the most important element of the film, I was more than satisfied.

Booger, the titular cat, was faultless as the cat. Delivering all the cat things you know and love. This is not a joke, I’ve seen some useless animal actors due to directors who didn’t know how to capture them effectively.

I’m famously not the biggest fan of body horror – beyond being in awe of the incredible make-up and SFX – and I still don’t quite know why, but it’s films like this that make me see its importance in the horror genre. Something about macro photography of the human body, doing something unusual or disgusting can be quite an exhilarating touch.

As on terrifying display in Booger, it goes hand in hand with the psychological terror and dark comedy at play. You wince, and then you laugh as a defence mechanism. That stomach-curdling sensation only adds to the adrenaline rush of the character’s plight, keeping you on the edge of your seat.

Despite my sticky relationship with Body Horror, Booger always lands on its feet! It screens at select theatres across the USA on September 13th, as well as releasing on VOD from Dark Sky Films.

“[body horror] is on terrifying display in Booger, it goes hand in hand with the psychological terror and dark comedy at play. You wince, and then you laugh as a defence mechanism”