A memorable score can make a good horror movie great, and a great horror movie iconic. A haunting track not only highlights the terror of a film, it elevates it. Just listening to it can make the hair on your arms stand up. Halloween wouldn’t be the same without John Carpenter’s pulse-pounding theme. And it’s impossible to imagine The Thing without Ennio Morricone’s iconic track. But if you really want a scary song, forget finding a talented composer. Apparently all you need is a black cat mindlessly walking across a keyboard. Because this kitty created a truly nightmarish song without even trying.
Laughing Squid shared a 2019 video from the YouTube channel Loz Lomas that is equal parts delightful and devilish. It shows Mitzi, an otherwise adorable black cat, taking a stroll across a working keyboard. While it appears the underlying music might be the work of Mitzi’s owner, the overall effect is perfect. The discordant chords “played” by the cat’s little paws creates something truly unsettling.
But what really makes this so emotive is that, like any cat, Mitzi is moving at her own pace. This isn’t a child smashing a bunch of keys as fast as they can. These notes feel deliberate, as though this kitty is building the tension from one moment to the next. And that perfect little half growl/half meow is the perfect addition.
Loz Lomas
Like any great horror score, the music builds a sense of inevitable doom. When will Mitzi stop being distracted by the sun? Will she ever acknowledge her owner? How long until she bores of these plastic pieces that keep moving beneath her legs? And when will a demon spawn jump out of the closest and rip the owner in twain?
No wonder her owner dubbed her “John Catpenter.” Like the horror maestro himself, Mitzi knows how important a great soundtrack is for any horror movie.
