Last year Tim Cruz came to FrightFest with the super slasher LadyBug and now he's back with an even more inventive movie, Don't Let the Cat Out. Here he chats about this superb chiller before its UK premiere at FrightFest 2025.
NYX: How do you and co-writer Anthony Del Negro work together on a script? Does one of you pace the room as the other types for example?
TC: Anthony and I have known each other for a minute, and Don’t Let the Cat Out is actually our fourth movie together. Sometimes he’ll kick things off with an outline, or in this case, he sent me a full script while I was still in post on Ladybug. I knew he’d been developing it for a while, and I wasn’t originally planning to come on board. But I was on holiday in Paris at the time, and I swear, every time he texted me about the project I’d randomly see some kind of Chat Noir image nearby. When he officially called to ask me to collaborate, I was literally sitting in a bar called Au Chat Noir in the 11th. It just felt meant to be. Once I agreed, I re-read the draft and started crafting a plan, how I’d revise it, deepen the characters, and adapt the structure to fit both our creative instincts and the practical realities of production. At that point, Anthony passed me the ball. I started adding scenes, reshaping the structure, and we’d go back and forth on the draft. We talk through everything, but when it comes time to write, I’ll usually take the lead on putting pen to paper. Once we’re in production, it shifts again. Anthony focuses on performance, and he trusts me to make creative decisions on set. I’ll check in with him when the timing’s right, but switching between writer and actor is no small feat, so I see it as my job to protect that space and create the best possible environment for him to work as a performer.
NYX: Where did the idea for Don’t Let the Cat Out come from?
TC: This is definitely an Anthony question, as the original premise came from him. He was house-sitting one time and was left instructions on how to care for a cat that, one, they never discussed, and two, he never actually saw. You can see how it went down the rabbit hole. For me, what truly drew me to the project was my love for our feline friends and their very nature. But also, as a caretaker of a pet, my dachshund Lumpia, I knew the lengths I would go to keep her around. It’s the very thing I wanted to explore. If given the chance to avoid loss and the process of grief, I would do anything to keep my babies around. And that’s what Don’t Let the Cat Out is to me. It’s truly an exploration of grief, and in this case, the consequences of avoiding the inevitable. It’s also about the reshaping of our morals in the context of desperation, obsession, and rage.
NYX: Its pretty original, how would you describe it?
TC: I’d pitch the logline which is "A woman spiraling from the impending death of her cat kidnaps a stranger in a desperate attempt to transfer its soul, unleashing a twisted, grief-soaked horror comedy" but to me, Don’t Let the Cat Out is about what happens when we try to outrun grief. It’s a genre blending horror comedy about love, loss, and the irrational things we do to avoid letting go. It's funny, chaotic, and deeply personal, a story about a couple’s refusal to say goodbye, and the emotional wreckage that follows.
NYX: What did the cast think when they read the script?
TC: I think they were probably surprised, maybe a little apprehensive about how we’d approach it. The thing with reading a script is, everyone brings their own perception to it. Then, as they start discussing it with me or Anthony, that perception begins to shift. By the time they land on set, it’s often slightly, if not entirely, different from what they first imagined. Add the pressure of shooting, the chaos of an overnight schedule, real cat actors, and a director’s interpretation, and it’s easy to lose your footing a bit. That’s when they really have to put their faith in the creative leadership to help steer the chaos. You’d have to ask them individually for their take, but I’ll just say I’m deeply grateful to each and every one of them, for their trust, for showing up, and for giving so much of themselves to this weird little film. It was a tough one to make, and it wouldn’t be what it is without their talent and commitment.
NYX: Anthony spends some time in a rather uncomfortable costume, who designed it?
TC: Depends on which costume we’re talking about because both are quite uncomfortable haha. The first costume was a collaborative effort between my wife, Stephanie, who sourced it and our costume designer, Katie Mamie. I didn’t even think such a thing could exist, but we live in a creative world, and they knew exactly how to source it. And Anthony, who I’ll remind you originally wrote the scene, was fully game to put himself through it, leather straps and all. I remember feeling absolutely awful after we wrapped the dungeon scene. As soon as we got Anthony out of that thing, he got the biggest charley horse and full-on cramp right there on set. Poor guy. We had to pause filming, he looked like he was in serious pain. We tried to give him as much of a break as possible between setups, but reharnessing took time. Still, Anthony, being one of the toughest and most athletic people I know, and also the film’s Executive Producer, was determined to power through and just finish the scene. Honestly, I don’t think anyone else could have played Charlie in that sequence the way he did. The second costume was gotta see those suits in action.
NYX: How long did it take to get all the cat paraphernalia together, there seems to be loads of feline themed objects.
TC: It took a few weeks to pull everything together. At the end of each week, we’d try to do a raffle for the crew with a fun prize. One Friday, the question was “How many cat artifacts are in the house?” and I think the final count was over 180. Steph sourced a huge batch from a prop house that was closing, picking them up at auction. Elizabeth Rallis also went through so many antique shops in Louisville, Kentucky—those shop owners must be wondering why all their cat items suddenly disappeared. Then, whenever we were out and spotted cat-themed trinkets or knickknacks, we’d grab those too, slowly amassing a full collection to decorate the house. At wrap, we gave a bunch of them away to crew members as little souvenirs from the shoot. It became part of the film’s charm, everywhere you looked, there was another weird little feline object tucked into the frame.
NYX: Was it shot in your home?
TC: I wish that was my home—but no, we rented a house in Old Louisville, a Victorian property located in one of the country’s largest historic preservation districts. It’s actually home to the largest collection of restored Victorian homes in the U.S., and it was exactly what we needed for the story. The neighbours, thankfully, were wonderful. I can only imagine how frustrating it must have been to try to sleep while a bunch of actors were screaming in pain and running from killers just outside. But Louisville, and Kentucky in general, is incredibly supportive of indie filmmakers. This was actually my fourth movie shot in the state, and it continues to be such a rewarding place to film. The dungeon was built and designed by our brilliant Art Director, Cait Nunes, and we installed it in the home’s actual basement. The ceremony room, on the other hand, was designed and built by our Production Designer, Elizabeth Rallis, and that was staged in an old alcohol storage cave—which ended up being one of the most striking and atmospheric sets in the film.
NYX: Do you believe in reincarnation?
TC: I don’t know if I believe in reincarnation. Part of me feels like every new being should have the chance to make life their own, with no baggage from a past existence. The idea of being given another go at life feels, I don’t know, kind of unfair. Especially if someone who was cruel or harmful gets recycled into another life without consequence, it makes the whole system feel a little demoralizing. I’m rambling because I’m not sure. I want to believe in something, like the idea that spirits or souls can briefly attach themselves to others, maybe even possess, if the moment is right. But I don’t know if they’d be able to stick, or fully harness that new body or energy. Sometimes I wonder if our belief in reincarnation is less about what happens after death and more about our struggle with grief. Maybe it's our way of softening the finality of loss. Or maybe the entire idea of the afterlife, whatever form it takes, is just our logical minds or romantic hearts trying to make sense of death. Trying to believe all of this meant something, that it wasn’t just the random churn of an indifferent universe. I don’t know. But it’s comforting to imagine. And maybe that’s enough sometimes.
NYX: What is it about the horror genre that sees you return to it once again?
TC: I love horror as a vehicle for exploring themes and ideas I'm drawn to. Coming from music videos, I’ve always been interested in how atmosphere can shape emotion, and horror lets me practice building tension and dread through visual language. It’s also a space where I can be more experimental, where pushing boundaries is part of the appeal. To me, horror is the first genre, the most primal, because it grapples with something we all share: death. It's inevitable, and the more we challenge ourselves to confront it, the easier it becomes to accept. Of course, there are plenty of stories I want to tell across other genres, but right now, in this phase of my creative practice, I’m grateful to be making horror. As a huge fan of cinema, horror was my gateway drug, from Kubrick’s The Shining, to the Pang brothers’ The Eye, to even Walter Murch’s Return to Oz. I love it all.
NYX: You attended FrightFest last year, will you be just as nervous with Don’t Let the Cat Out?
TC: Hell yeah, I’ll be nervous. But honestly, FrightFest might be one of my favorite audiences. This community is so passionate about horror, and it’s truly the best crowd to premiere a film in front of. Sure, I still get nervous speaking in front of a room full of hundreds of people, but I’m also incredibly grateful—and honestly honored—that I get to do it again. I love getting to hang out, watch movies, and share this experience with everyone in London.
NYX: So, what are you up to after this?
TC: Actually I’m working on a project right now with my buddy RJ Haynes called Rager. It’s going to be epic. It’s about a high school senior throwing the biggest graduation party and he’ll kill anyone who stands in his way. Can’t Hardly Wait/Booksmart meets American Psycho. If we’re lucky maybe we’ll get to premiere it again in London.
NYX: Tim Cruz, thank you very much.
TC: Thank you James, again very grateful for all you do for the horror film community and I hope folks check out Don’t Let The Cat Out when it becomes available!
