'Cat Daddies' documentary spotlights bond between men and their feline friends

It's not uncommon for moviegoers to dress up in costumes and join their friends to watch superheroes, elves or Jedi on the big screen. But in recent days, one independent film has seen a flood of people dress up and turn out for some unconventional heroes: cats.

Yes ... cats.

Wearing blinking cat-ears handmade by the filmmakers, crowds have poured into one New York theater to watch the documentary, "Cat Daddies," a film by director Mye Hoang that focuses on a diverse group of men and their connection to a host of feline friends. There aren't any lightsaber fights, there isn't a cacophony of explosions in the third act; it's a documentary about people who had gaps in their lives that were filled by a pet (or sometimes four pets).

Unlike the slew of horror movies and true crime documentaries tearing up both theaters and streaming services, this film's positive word of mouth has caused some screenings to sell out, and has even earned more money per screen average than last weekend's box office champ, "Halloween Ends."

On opening night, the crowd -- complete with blinking cat ears on top of their heads -- was whipped up into such a frenzy that they chanted the film's title over and over at the screen. The theater had the atmosphere of a raucous midnight movie rather than an offbeat documentary. Perhaps that enthusiasm is due to two byproducts of the pandemic: the closing of movie theaters and the uptick in pet ownership, which may have given rise to even more cat-obsessed Americans.

Whatever the reason, the reactions don't seem that surprising to Hoang, who says, "I've been really pushing this theatrically, to get people to the theaters to see this ... to be together, and to feel that energy and that emotion together."

The film brings viewers portraits of several men who are living very different lives but find similar connections to their preferred animal of choice.

There's actor and social media influencer Nathan Kehn, who shares stories of his four cats with more than 370,000 followers on Instagram. After struggling to land auditions, Kehn says that he owes much of his success online to his cat, Princess, and decided to "go with the cat thing."

Another social media star, Keys aka "Goal Kitty," makes an appearance here as well -- hopping up on her hind legs and stretching out her paws for no apparent reason. Then there's Flame, "The Arson Cat," who has become an unofficial mascot for the Belmont Fire Department in South Carolina.

While one typically thinks of dalmatians walking around a firehouse, the film highlights this group of hardened firefighters fawning over a stray cat who brings them comfort after returning from a long day on the job. The group even disobeyed orders from their chief to get rid of the animal -- such is the power of cats.

"I think that the cats brought out a different side of [the men]. Sometimes it brings out a sense of creativity; they're creating content online or they're getting into photography," says Hoang. "I think that's what probably surprised me the most."

But while the film does spend time showing off the cute cat content audiences have clearly come for, it doesn't shy away from tougher, more heartbreaking issues.

One story depicts a former construction worker who was out of work and lived on the streets of New York City. While he had friends who checked in on him, it was his cat, Lucky, who provided the most stable friendship. As he fought health problems and economic issues, the man was adamant that the little creature saved his life and allowed him to keep going.

For Hoang, "Cat Daddies" became a passion project after observing her husband (who was definitely not a cat person) fall in love with her own cat. But for the first-time documentary filmmaker, she says another inspiration was just being cat-obsessed herself and decided to make something that she wanted to see.

Early on in the film, one cat owner says, "They are the only species that's trained us to cater to them hand and foot without any expectation of returning affection. I think that's pretty boss."

But to Hoang, it seems, the film is more about how the cats can change us, and make us better people.

"I think it takes a certain type of man to love a cat, and I think this film really reinforces that," she said. "I think it takes a lot of patience, it takes a certain kind of tenderness, and a certain amount of vulnerability. And I think that is what we need more of."

"Cat Daddies" is in select theaters in New York, Los Angeles and Dallas.