From what reviewers and audiences have been saying about Cats, the surreal nature of the movie probably doesn’t need to be enhanced by adding psychedelic drugs. However, this doesn’t seem to have prevented adventurous moviegoers from sampling their drug of choice before sitting through the baffling musical.
Cats, which has spectacularly tanked for Universal, while inviting all kinds of explanations for what went wrong, could now get a second life as a cult favorite for experiences aided by recreational materials. The Washington Post has conducted a survey of audiences and have found that many viewers were “out of their minds” during the movie. One of the popular choices seems to be edibles, with one interviewee describing her experience as so:
“I’m feeling kind of okay” at that point, like maybe I can get through this. Then, just as the first frame of the movie came up, I feel, like, a spot on the center of my forehead light up and start tingling, and it radiates throughout my whole body.”
As drug experiences go, this doesn’t sound all bad, and may have made the on-screen spectacle a bit more bearable in the moment. It’s worth noting, though, that things quickly went downhill for this particular viewer and her roommate, as their brains struggled to comprehend the mismatched cats, human hands and other grotesque imagery on show.
“I felt like I was losing my mind. I was just concentrating on taking deep breaths.”
Other people interviewed by The Washington Post have opened up to their use of narcotics to get through the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical adaptation, with some only just holding onto their sanity:
“The most terrifying experience of my life. I swear to God my soul escaped me.”
“Vomited four times but ultimately understood the film on a deep level.”
“When Judi Dench turned and looked me directly in the eyes to let me know that a cat is not a dog, I was terrified.”
Some audience members even found themselves engaging with the subtext of Cats on a deeper level, with one getting (temporary) inspiration for a doctoral thesis based on police brutality and class dialectics.
“It doesn’t sound as groundbreaking now, but please remember I was very stoned.”
There are a lot more stories of this nature, too, which can be found within the Post article and, presumably, across social media. What this does point to, though, is that fans and theaters are embracing the weirdness of Cats, with the Post’s report including mention of people attending screenings in costume, or venues like the Alamo Drafthouse encouraging folks to shout at the screen.
Of course, your choice of whether to enhance the experience of Cats is yours (and your state’s) own, but from what we’ve seen, the movie is likely weird enough to simulate a drug trip without needing to consume them at all.