Where to Watch Josie and the Pussycats
- Jacob O’NealApril 1, 2026When this came out I placed it in a box of Archie Comics stupidity. I don’t often have blind spots, but I was blind to the fact that this was done by the duo of Harry Elfant and Deborah Kaplan, the same two behind “Can’t Hardly Wait”. In fact, the boy band Dujour was played by four stars of that film. Let’s get into it, shall we? Alan Cumming plays an evil record exec who is looking for the next big thing after having to remove Dujour in a plane crash because they asked too many questions. The code phrase for the plane crash was calling an anonymous person on the phone and saying “take the Chevy to the levy”. The movie had me hooked from that moment. This was not just some light comedy. This is a satirical exposure of the record industry disguised as an adaption of the comic/cartoon. Rachel Leigh Cook, Rosario Dawson and Tara Reid play the three titular heroes who get swept up into signing a contract to be the next big thing. Then they shape the look, sow seeds of jealousy and try to kill of the Pussycats so Josie is the star. And everyone in the industry was in on it…including MTV News setting up stories to ruin them or report on their deaths if they don’t comply. It spells everything out. Every moment of the film is slathered in advertising, reminding us how our favorite artists are always pitching me products. Think “My Adidas”, “A.D.I.D.A.S.” or that terrible song from the early 2000’s that I thought was a commercial that repeated “I got my vans on but they look like sneakers”. In the movie they have their face on billboards surrounded by products, faces on Coke cans, cross promotion with Target. There’s a plot about putting subliminal messages in songs to shape the youth and make them buy more stuff, all led by Parker Posey’s villainous CEO and, yes, the government. The movie tanked at the box office but the soundtrack sold really well, ironically, given the subject matter of the film being a warning. Cook gave a sweet and grounded performance, as did Dawson. But Reid was the real stand out. She got more laughs from me than anyone in the film. There was some meta humor, like when they asked why Missi Pyle’s character was there. She replied with “I was in the comic”. What? “Nothing”. This movie is flawed but a lot of fun and really has a lot to say for being Josie & The Pussycats. The humor often falls flat. Paulo Costanzo (Joey’s brother on the Friends spin off) was a pointless character. The love story falls flat. Cumming, Posey and Reid were the best parts. The cameo from Eugene Levy was pitch perfect too. The code phrases were great too, like when Cumming says into his phone “Smells like Teen Spirit” and they kidnap a girl who the programming didn’t work on. They even did well showing Josie’s transition after mind control kicks in. If you believe that the record industry controls every aspect of its talent you’re gonna love this film for the message if for no other reason. Well, that and ogling Rosario Dawson.
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Josie and the Pussycats was released on April 11, 2001.
Josie and the Pussycats was directed by Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont.
Josie and the Pussycats has a runtime of 1h 38m.
Josie and the Pussycats was produced by Tracey Edmonds, Marc Platt, Chuck Grimes, Tony DeRosa-Grund.
Josie, Melody and Val are three small-town girl musicians determined to take their rock band out of their garage and straight to the top, while remaining true to their look, style and sound. They get a record deal which brings fame and fortune but soon realize they are pawns of two people who want to control the youth of America. They must clear their names, even if it means losing fame and fortune.
The key characters in Josie and the Pussycats are Josie McCoy (Rachael Leigh Cook), Valerie Brown (Rosario Dawson), Melody Valentine (Tara Reid).
Josie and the Pussycats is rated PG-13.
Josie and the Pussycats is a Comedy, Music film.
Josie and the Pussycats has an audience rating of 5.3 out of 10.
Josie and the Pussycats had a budget of $22M.
Josie and the Pussycats has made $14.9M at the box office.