Copycat (95)

12/22/96

There are a lot of serial killer movies made, I'm assuming, because a lot of people are interested in serial killers. Why is that? Do we want to know what causes someone's mind to decide that killing is thrilling? Are we afraid that we're one 'bad day' away from becoming a killer ourselves? Weaver is a psychologist who has written many books on serial killers. When she is, herself, targeted after a lecture, she becomes agorophobic and doesn't leave her house for the rest of the film. Holly Hunter (among the most appealing actresses ever) is a San Francisco cop who is put on the serial killer case along with her partner played by Dermot Mulroney. Several things make this film different from most slasher films. First, the killer recreates murders from several different famous serial killers throughout history. Second, the two protagonists are women, who don't look to men for safety or help. The fact that Weaver plays her entire role while inside an apartment, albeit a SF waterfront impossible-to-afford one, is a very interesting twist. She's put herself in the position of being a sitting duck. We, and the killer, know she'll always be there. It was suspenseful and interesting. Connick is an incarcerated psychopath in the ultimate changeup role for him. I had some trouble with the use of the Police's 'Murder By Numbers'. It was written back in '82 or '83 and this movie makes the words more important than they should be.
Sigourney Weaver Holly Hunter Dermot Mulroney William McNamara Harry Connick Jr. J.E. Freeman Will Patton John Rothman Shannon O'Hurley Bob Greene Directed by Jon Amiel
40 critics 7.3 Ebert***^ Maltin*** Tucker B Stack 5.0 Shulgasser***^

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