The Cat and the Moon

During his mother's rehabilitation time, Nick moved to New York to stay with whom we later learn is Cal, an old musician friend of his father's. On his way to his school, Nick considers attempting suicide by jumping in front of an oncoming train but at last minute, is spooked back. Upon arriving at school, he meets a girl, whom we later learn is named Eliza. After his first class, Nick is in the bathroom attempting to get high. Two guys walk in whom befriend him named Shaemus and Russell. He is then invited by them to a party. He is then introduced to Skylar and Eliza again, after it is revealed that Eliza and Sheamus are dating. At the party, Eliza and Nick bond over childhood memories and the piano. Meanwhile, Shaemus upstairs on the roof of the party, receives a handjob from a random girl. The next day, Seamus hinted at Nick at a fast-food vendor that he cheated on Eliza and told Nick not to tell her. On a Friday night out, Russel bought illegal drugs from a black man standing in the street but called the man the n-word. The man then threatened Russell with a gun before they left. On that same Friday's party, Nick and his friends got intoxicated on the drugs that Russel bought. Shaemus again cheats on Eliza as he gives another girl oral in the bathroom, which Nick walks in on. A drunk Lola takes Nick to the bedroom, makes out with Nick but is interrupted by a group of boys, who taunted Nick into fighting. Nick and his friends brought Lola home, and Eliza had sex with Nick. Cal told Nick the next day that Nick's mother is getting better and he can return soon but then tells Nick about staying in New York. On a bus ride, Nick is overwhelmed with emotion seeing Seamus with Eliza, and attempted suicide again, but returned home vomiting and had an emotional breakdown with Cal. The next day at school, Seamus beat Nick for he had had sex with Eliza. Later that day, Eliza came to talk to Nick and the two parted ways. At the farewell party, Seamus and Nick made peace, and Nick gave Seamus a book on French naughty words. Nick looked at Eliza for the final time.

• Alex Wolff as Nick
• Mike Epps as Cal
• Skyler Gisondo as Seamus
• Stefania LaVie Owen as Eliza
• Tommy Nelson as Russell
• Giullian Yao Gioiello as Skyler
• Mischa Barton as Jessica Petersen
• Patricia Pinto as Self
• Paula Rossman as Christine

On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 78% based on reviews from nine critics, with an average rating of 8.5/10.[4] On Metacritic the film has a score of 63 based on reviews from 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."[5]

Dennis Harvey of Variety wrote: "While the gist here is a familiar one of coming-of-age seriocomedy, Wolff avoids predictable beats, letting significant insights emerge almost incidentally rather than milking them for melodramatic effect."[6]

• The Cat and the Moon at IMDb