Catfight

Set in the 21st century during the ongoing War on Terror, the story weaves two-year leaps in time to explore how violence and fame alter the women's lives. It juxtaposes the immediate aftermath of trauma with years of memory and change, showing how past events continue to echo. The timeline emphasizes cycles of escalation, separation, and eventual confrontation.

The film unfolds primarily across domestic spaces in the United States, including art studios and homes, with the backdrop of a global conflict in the Middle East. The war's presence shapes the characters' lives, from the trauma of the fight to the aftermath at home. In the final act, a trip toward Pennsylvania brings the personal drama into a new setting that mirrors the film's themes of collision and reconciliation.

🤝 Forgiveness

The film probes whether the women can move beyond rage and resentment. It traces how shared pain can soften hardened hearts, even as memories of violence threaten to pull them apart. The ending hints that understanding and empathy may emerge from confronted trauma rather than from revenge.

💭 Trauma

Trauma threads through both women's lives, shaping decisions, relationships, and self-perception. The coma, memory loss, and the war's consequences show how surviving violence persists long after the event. The narrative uses flashbacks and revelatory conversations to unpack what remains after physical injuries heal.

🎨 Art

Art becomes both a livelihood and a battleground for identity. Ashley's shift to darker, war-inspired paintings contrasts with Veronica's memory-driven motivations, highlighting how creativity can reflect inner turmoil. The story frames art as a social currency, whose value rises and falls with public opinion and personal upheaval.

💔 Family

Family ties drive the characters' choices and betrayals, from partnerships to dependents affected by conflict. The film looks at how familial relationships fracture under stress and then attempt to heal amidst shared history. Through confrontations and reconciliation dialogues, it suggests that family can both wound and anchor us.