A Glowing Blue Powder and Masked Conspirators Collide in NINE BLACK CATS Trailer
Things get weird fast in the trailer for Nine Black Cats, a new indie neo-noir conspiracy thriller from Oklahoma filmmaker Chris Zuhdi. We’ve got a nightclub murder, glowing blue powder, secret tunnels, masked figures, corrupt forces lurking around the city, and apparently not a single actual black cat in sight.
Skytrain Films has released the trailer for the film ahead of its limited theatrical release on August 21st, and it looks like Zuhdi is diving headfirst into a colorful, shadow-soaked mystery with plenty of sinister characters creeping around its edges.
The story begins with a brutal murder at a nightclub that leaves behind a particularly strange piece of evidence: a mysterious glowing blue powder.
From there, suspended police officer Chris Zuhdi and lonely waitress Hannah Brantley find themselves caught up in an investigation that pulls them beneath the city streets and into the path of a dangerous masked conspiracy.
The deeper they dig, the uglier things get. Secret tunnels, buried crimes, and corrupt people in positions of power are all connected to the mystery, and whoever is running the show appears determined to make sure anyone getting too close to the truth disappears.
Zuhdi is taking on a whole lot with Nine Black Cats. In addition to starring in the movie, he wrote, directed, produced, and edited the film. His previous directing credits include Goodnight Charlene, Mexican Moon, and Neon Cactus.
Joining Zuhdi in the cast are Hannah Brantley, MC Dillon, Bryce Barfield, Sean Frost, Courtney Herbst, Megan Grace, and Ashley Adair. The film also features music from Stephen Tackett and Josh Tackett.
Visually, the trailer has some fun stuff going on. The vibrant colors, heavy shadows, glowing powder, underground locations, and collection of bizarre masks give the movie its own scrappy neo-noir personality.
It looks less interested in recreating the traditional black-and-white noir aesthetic and more interested in throwing that atmosphere into a strange, neon-lit conspiracy nightmare.
And despite being called Nine Black Cats, you shouldn’t come into this trailer expecting some mysterious feline army. There aren’t any cats to be found. Strange masked people lurking in the darkness, though? There are plenty of those.
Nine Black Cats hasn’t premiered at any film festivals or elsewhere as far as we know, so audiences heading to its theatrical run will be among the first to see how deep this conspiracy actually goes.
Skytrain Films will release Nine Black Cats in select U.S. theaters beginning August 21st, 2026.