Dermot Mulroney, Harry Connick Jr., Holly Hunter

Taking its lead from Jonathan Demme's Oscar-winning pulse-raiser The Silence of the Lambs, Copycat strives for intelligence over gristle and carnage. It's a terse, involving thriller tha...( read more  read more... )t swings away from the usual cinematic notion of violence as a means to an end by forgoing brawn for brains. Young San Francisco police inspector Ruben Goetz (Dermot Mulroney) is teamed with brilliant force vet, M.J. Monahan (Holly Hunter), a diplomatic, no-nonsense cop who must buck the system in order to find a killer who is copycatting the crimes of history's most notorious serial killers. Ruben would rather shoot to kill than merely wound a suspect; Monahan labors to help him think more diplomatically. Everything changes when crank calls arrive at the station from serial-killer pin-up girl psychiatrist Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver). She's been housebound for 13 months, ever since murderer Daryll Lee Cullum (Harry Connick Jr.) nearly made her his next victim because she testified against him in court. Though he's in prison, he's still mentor and muse to every loose cannon walking the streets--one of whom is killing people with a vengeance and hoping to finish the job Cullum began. Cop and doc team up to solve the case in this stylish, plot-driven movie. Though Copycat loses steam in the end, it still makes a point. And it serves as a cautionary tale for people everywhere, tossing in street smart warnings against victimization. The teaming of Hunter and Weaver works well, the short and the tall forging a terrific and frictioned relationship that leads to grudging respect. Establishing an ominous atmosphere reminiscent of his classic British TV miniseries The Singing Detective, director Jon Amiel has an eye for the dark and the unusual and it gives this film an edge that eludes most other mainstream filmmakers. --Paula Nechak

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59% liked it

35,617 ratings

R, 125 min.

Directed by: Jon Amiel

Release Date: October 27, 1995

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DVD Release Date: April 28, 1998

Stats: 885 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (885)


  • March 28, 2009
    An original plot for a serial killer film and although it?s not exceptionally well acted, it is the plot in this one, that is the main focus of the film. The more you know of Serial Killers the more fascinating the storyline becomes, we see the investigation from a Detectives vi...( read more)ew, a victim?s view and an analytical view from a criminal profile.

    This does happen to be one of my favourite watch over and over films, but that of course is my appeal with the subject matter.

    Watch out for a very different looking Harry Connick Jr, who plays quite a quirky psychopath.

    Film speeches:

    The screams of the victim deaden his pain, the act of killing makes him feel intensely alive, what he feels next is not guilt, but disappointment, it was not as wonderful as he?d hoped, maybe next time it will be perfect and as his determination builds to take another life, he plans in obsessive detail what props he?ll bring, what knots he?ll tie.
  • September 29, 2007
    A con on death row initiates a copycat serial killer just to battle wits and eventually kill Dr. Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver). It is a bit obscure -- if the serial killer can come and go into Helen's apartment with impunity, why bother with the copycat murders?

    Ah, even if...( read more) it is not logical, Copycat is a pretty good movie.
  • August 20, 2007
    A few flaws but otherwise enjoyable movie, may be boring moments but only fleeting ones.
  • July 26, 2007
    It had a few tense scenes like the wire strangulation in the washroom stalls, and the creepy infected e-mail message. Sigourney Weaver's fears were portrayed well on screen. Harry Connick Jr. was frightening and played a psycho well. The idea of having a serial killer copy a diff...( read more)erent killer for each of their murders was an interesting idea. It was somewhat memorable and engaging; but nothing great.
  • April 10, 2007
    My elementary school principal is in this.
  • November 13, 2009
    Great thriller. You'll love it.
  • November 13, 2009
    great film with strong female leads.
  • November 10, 2009
    This film is most memorable for Harry Connick Jr's performance, one of the few singer/actor crossovers that actually work
  • November 8, 2009
    Great acting by Sigourney Weaver, but I thought this film was uninteresting and boring at most parts. The killer needed some character development. All of the killers in this film do. Who were they?

    I didn't like how it was mostly a crime/detective story and how similar they mad...( read more)e it to Silence of the Lambs. It should've got rid of the crime/detective stuff and be more on the thriller side (less investigating, more suspense/chase scenes basically), because those parts were boring. Also, it should've been more about Sigourney's character than those cops.

    The ending was good, though. Btw, I don't get it, how did that killer at the end of the film just appear? What happened to the strangler?
  • October 28, 2009
    Wow,it's real good.Although i found some difficulties to watch this movie,i found it interesting.

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  • Salemslot9
    January 13, 2009
    interesting how Sigourney Weaver
    is afraid to leave her home

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Copycat Trivia


  • Which actor/actress appears in these 3 films: *O brother, where art thou? *Always *Copycat  Answer »
  • I was in: My best friend's wedding The Wedding Date Copycat The Family Stone  Answer »
  • What actor/singer portrayed serial killer Daryll Lee Cullum in the movie Copycat?  Answer »
  • This actress has starred in the following movies: Ghost Busters, Working Girl, Dave, Copycat, Heartbreakers, and Holes.  Answer »

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