The Big Picture

• Parasocial relationships have existed for decades, leading to terrifying situations for both celebrities and fans.
• Be My Cat: A Film for Anne showcases the dark side of fandom and the lengths some will go for attention.
• The movie blurs the line between reality and fiction, highlighting the dangers of unhealthy obsessions with celebrities.

Celebrities have become a mainstay of modern culture, and so have the creepy fixations certain fans can't seem to stop themselves from forming on them. A parasocial relationship happens when a person believes that they have a "special connection" with someone despite never meeting them, an imagined bond that can become scary and potentially dangerous when they discover their idol doesn't reciprocate these feelings. This form of attachment has led to some terrifying situations for many famous people throughout the years, and it's the basis for the movie Be My Cat: A Film for Anne, which follows a movie director as he tries to get Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway to appear in his film. Directed by and starring Adrian Tofei, this found-footage horror showcases the worst aspects of parasocial relationships and the atrocities fans will commit in the hopes of getting their favorite star's attention. It shows the dark side of fandom and, through the horrible actions of its main character, the terrifying lengths some people will go to just to be noticed.

Parasocial Relationships Have Existed For Decades

Even before the modern era of celebrity that Be My Cat: A Film for Anne draws on, there have always been fans who have taken their adoration of famous people too far. Fandoms can be highly supportive, affirming spaces; while large groups usually have the potential for toxicity, it's been heartening that recent generations of viewers have turned various fan communities into open spaces where all are welcomed. A shared appreciation for someone's work can create a great sense of community, but there are always those who feel their love trumps all others; that their affection is different, more personal, with some of these folks becoming convinced that their idol will reciprocate these feelings if they could just get their attention. Whether it be fans using online tools to locate and visit celebrities' houses or individuals literally trying to assassinate presidents to impress their favorite actress, parasocial bonds like these have existed for a long time and have had some horrific results. And while there are (unfortunately) various real-world examples to study, people only need to watch this hauntingly realistic movie to learn how twisted these one-sided relationships can become.

What Is 'Be My Cat: A Film for Anne' About?

Tofei stars as Adrian, a Romanian filmmaker convinced he loves the American film actress Anne Hathaway more than anyone else. The movie immediately shocks its audience with how blatantly this premise breaks the fourth wall, with Tofei speaking directly to the camera about a person we all know and using actual events from her life to convince those watching of his "love" for her. The video he's filming serves as a plea for Hathaway to visit Romania and star in his film; he assures her that it is a fantastic piece of cinema whose ingenious premise is worthy of a talent as big as hers. The ingenious premise? A dangerous stalker who is obsessed with a film actress, doing whatever he can to kidnap and control her. This thinly veiled allegory for what he wants to do is unsettling enough; but it's made worse when watchers are reminded that, while in a movie, he is saying all of this to a real person, not some fictional character who they don't really have to worry about. This sense of reality adds an eerie sense of discomfort as Tofei creates a realistic depiction of someone who can think of nothing but being with a celebrity, making it that much more horrifying when viewers learn what Adrian will do to get Hathaway's attention.

This Found-Footage Horror Hits Too Close To Home

All of Be My Cat: A Film for Anne is Adrian "acting" out scenes for his prospective movie, hoping that his script and acting will convince Hathaway to become a part of it (and fall in love with him along the way). Audiences see him recruit numerous young women excited to be in a movie, both these acting hopefuls and those watching growing unnerved by his nonsensical ramblings, and unhinged passion when speaking about the actress. Adrian's treatment is horrifying and deeply uncomfortable; one woman receives a "kitchen knife surgery" while another is knocked out and forced to don Hathaway's Catwoman costume from The Dark Knight Rises. These are terrifying on their own, but they're exacerbated by Tofei's constant talking to the camera, spouting a belief that while his actions may not be great, they're all worth it if it means he'll finally meet his idol when they'll embark on a journey of love unlike any before. His rationalization of these murders is a sobering fear as viewers recognize that while deeply troubling, sometimes when he talks, Adrian doesn't sound too different from many other "superfans" they see today.

Great art can heal audiences, but when a fan becomes convinced that they understand it better than anyone else and that they should be rewarded for this, enthusiastic support becomes an unhealthy obsession. This is the mentality Adrian holds as he continues to commit malicious acts in the name of Hathaway, his eerily positive demeanor making audiences cringe as much as scare them. His actions are worsened by the movie constantly emphasizing that what he is doing is not some hook for a scary feature, it's inspired by the real actions people have taken to get a celebrity's attention that have ended in tragedy. By focusing the film on Anne Hathaway, Be My Cat stresses to viewers how grounded its plot is and that the world our lead inhabits is exactly like our own. Found footage as a medium is meant to have viewers believing they are watching reality, but even then, any horror film grants its viewers a much-needed degree of separation by assuring that what they're watching is "just a movie." This film does the opposite, and by using a real celebrity and the social factors that create people like Adrian, it paints a terrifying picture of fandom the audience may be a little too familiar with.

Be My Cat: A Film for Anne' Is Uncomfortably Real

Fan communities often earn underserved judgment, with Be My Cat: A Film for Anne not helping many non-fans beliefs that these groups are filled with out-of-touch individuals whose entire lives are dedicated to some person they've never met. Portrayals like these smear the good many die-hard fans do in the name of their favorite artist and the great things that can result from individuals coming together to discuss their passions. Yet, while it may impact how people perceive fandom communities, that doesn't discount how rightful the movie is in calling out how terrifyingly gross many people's parasocial relationships with their beloved celebrities are. By constantly having its main character try and connect to an actress the audience already knows through his sickening acts, it stresses how potentially lethal such a rabid form of idol worship can be. It terrifies not only with the actions onscreen but also the messages it holds about the dark potentials of fandom, with Be My Cat: A Film for Anne serving as a lesson for those who let their support for an icon go too far.

Be My Cat: A Film for Anne is Available to Stream on Tubi in the U.S.

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