‘I swear to God my soul escaped me’: Viewers share stories of seeing Cats under the influence of drugs

One person had a panic attack after seeing Taylor Swift’s character sing

Cats, which has been internationally ridiculed since its release last year, is a surreal enough viewing experience when sober – but now hundreds of people have shared their stories of seeing the film under the influence of drugs.

Tom Hooper's new adaptation was a disastrous flop at the box office after critics deemed it unwatchable thanks to its bizarre use of CGI and virtually non-existent plot.

Many viewers who watched the film after taking marijuana, psilocybin mushrooms, LSD and other mind-altering substances, spoke to The Washington Post about what they thought of the movie.

One person said it was “the most terrifying experience of my life”, adding: “I swear to God my soul escaped me.”

“Cried both times,” said another. “Planning on going two more times.”

A third viewer admitted: “Vomited four times but ultimately understood the film on a deep level.”

Others described having panic attacks after witnessing Taylor Swift’s character sing “Macavity”, while some were “terrified” by Judi Dench’s intense stare.

Annaliese Nielsen, who had taken cannabis and who could not cope with a furry James Corden, called the movie “a special kind of evil”.

At one point in the film, Corden’s feline character coughs up a furball into Ray Winstone’s face.

“I felt like I was losing my mind,” added Sarah from Louisville. “I was just concentrating on taking deep breaths.”

The experience was not a disastrous one for everyone though, with Kat from Los Angeles proclaiming: “I was so delighted. I was like, ‘Is this genius? Is this the best thing I have ever seen?’”

Read The Independent's ranking of which cat from Cats is the most embarrassing, here.