What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedCat's Eye
Margaret Atwood · Book · 2010
If you loved Cat's Eye, start with My Brilliant Friend (Saverio Costanzo, 2018) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Cat's Eye across media.
If you loved Cat's Eye, you likely crave stories that examine how childhood scars and complicated female dynamics define our adult identities.
Films on the same thread
Carrie
Brian De Palma · Film · 1976
Explores: Telekinesis, Religious Trauma, Social Outcast.
Much like the bullying Elaine faces in Cat's Eye, Carrie explores the devastating psychological toll of social exclusion and the way early trauma manifests in later life.
Citizen Kane
Orson Welles · Film · 1941
Shares 2 threads with Cat's Eye: Childhood Trauma, Psychological Drama.
This film mirrors the retrospective structure of Cat's Eye, focusing on how a protagonist's fragmented memories and childhood origins dictate the trajectory of their adult life.
An Angel at My Table
Jane Campion · Film · 1990
Explores: mental health struggles, artistic resilience, social alienation.
Fans of Cat's Eye will appreciate this look at artistic resilience, as both works portray women navigating unconventional upbringings and the struggle to define their own creative paths.
All About Eve
Film · 1950
Shares a thread with Cat's Eye: Psychological drama.
The complex power dynamics and professional rivalry seen here resonate with the shifting, often cruel nature of female friendship portrayed throughout the pages of Cat's Eye.
Series on the same thread
My Brilliant Friend
Saverio Costanzo · Series · 2018
Shares a thread with Cat's Eye: Female Friendship.
The deep, lifelong bond between two women serves as the core of both stories, capturing the same themes of memory, childhood, and complicated intimacy found in Cat's Eye.
Derry Girls
Lisa McGee · Series · 2018
Shares a thread with Cat's Eye: Female friendship.
While lighter in tone, this show captures the specific, often painful social hierarchies of school life that defined so much of Elaine's formative experience in Cat's Eye.
Sharp Objects
Marti Noxon · Series · 2018
Explores: Trauma, Small Town Secrets, Dysfunctional Family.
Returning home to confront the past is a central motif in Cat's Eye, and this series echoes that unsettling journey into the shadows of one's own history.
Prime Suspect
Lynda La Plante · Series · 1991
Explores: Gender Inequality, Workplace Discrimination, Ambition.
The relentless ambition and social navigation required of the protagonist in this series mirror the internal drive Elaine experiences while building her life after leaving Cat's Eye.
Podcasts on the same thread
Slaggy Book Club
Podcast
Explores: Contemporary Literature, Book Recommendations, Literary Analysis.
These discussions provide the same analytical depth that readers of Cat's Eye crave, digging into the layers of contemporary literature and the nuance of personal memoir.
Chat 10 Looks 3
Podcast
Explores: Books, Film, Television.
Listeners who appreciated the cultural and artistic reflections in Cat's Eye will enjoy this conversational space for exploring the books and films that shape our perspectives.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Cat's Eye a story about a painter?
Yes, Cat's Eye follows the life of Elaine Risley, a controversial painter who returns to Toronto for a retrospective of her work. The narrative explores her past, including her unconventional family and the complex relationships that shaped her artistic career.
What is the primary setting of Cat's Eye?
The primary setting of Cat's Eye is Toronto. While the protagonist Elaine Risley has been living in Vancouver, the story centers on her return to the city of her youth to confront the submerged layers of her past and the people who influenced her.
Does Cat's Eye focus on Elaine Risley's childhood?
Cat's Eye focuses on the past of Elaine Risley, specifically reflecting on her youth in Toronto. The story examines her interactions with her eccentric brother, the self-righteous Mrs. Smeath, and her enigmatic childhood friend Cordelia, which continue to impact her life as an adult painter.
Are romantic relationships a significant part of Cat's Eye?
Yes, romantic relationships are a key element of Cat's Eye. The narrative details the lives of two men whom Elaine Risley came to love in diverse and sometimes disastrous ways, illustrating how these past experiences inform her current perspective during her retrospective in Toronto.