chimera3 Going into this, I had no idea what to think. I forget how and where I got introduced to this work of art but I am glad that I got around to watching it. It has a number of stars in it that all have their equal share of time and no one is in it more than the other. Before I begin, if you really want a suspenseful mystery that will leave you asking for more, this is certainly it.The movie begins with Dr. Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver) giving a speech at a college university and she get distracted when she supposedly sees Daryll Lee Cullum (Harry Connick, Jr.) in the audience and threatens her with a slashing across the throat gesture. She eventually gets back to business and finishes her lecture.She is then attacked by Cullum following the lecture and the police come in to stop him. Fast forward some time later where she's plagued by agoraphobia and she tries to calm herself after a nightmare that jolts her out of sleep. Then come Ruben Goetz and M.J. Monahan (Dermot Mulroney and Holly Hunter, respectively) who are called to a crime scene where the victim was strangled in the style of the "Boston Strangler."It is then they have to figure out the style of the killer before he/she kills any more people. As time wears on, the killer claims victims in the styles of the "Hillside Stranglers," "Son of Sam," and Jeffrey Dahmer...which is when things get too close to home when the killer makes Helen's assistant Andy one of his victims. After that, the police finally catch up to the "Copycat Killer" by the name of Peter Foley (William McNamara), who is nothing more than a lab tech who wants his 15 minutes of fame.Eventually Peter kills a couple more cops and then kidnaps Helen, which alerts the attention of M.J. The bold cop then finds Helen at the university where the initial attack took place with Daryll Lee. A fight ensues and Helen eventually breaks free and runs to the roof, completely forgetting about her agoraphobia. Peter saunters after her and tries to shoot her, only to be stopped by M.J....who eventually kills him.If you're not into the realm of serial killers, I advise you do some serious reading on them before you go into this movie. Even though the characters explain what the real killers have done, you will be better off knowing about them before they tell you. I guarantee that you will not regret it. Enjoy this gritty film and make sure you watch it on an empty stomach. There are some parts in here that may very well turn it if you're not used to it.

SnoopyStyle Psychologist Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver) is giving a guest lecture on serial killers. Daryll Lee Cullum (Harry Connick, Jr.) surprises her in the bathroom and kills her police protection. Thirteen months later, she has become agoraphobic haunted by the experience. There is a serial killer is on the loose in San Francisco and she figures out his m.o. of copying other famous serial killers. M.J. Monahan (Holly Hunter) and Reuben Goetz (Dermot Mulroney) are the investigative officers and they recruit her to help.Sure, it's the same old serial killer movie. It does add a couple of interesting wrinkles and with solid female leads. Hunter is confident and fully realized. Weaver and her point of view deliver a sincere and fragile personality. The movie opens with the memorable bathroom attack. The other memorable aspect is Weaver struggling in her home. The investigation and the serial killer are less compelling. This follows the formula and it does it pretty well.

The Couchpotatoes What's not to like about this movie? Not much I guess if you like thrillers with serial killers. I do like this kind of movies so I can't complain about anything. It might not be as strong as Seven or Silence of the Lambs but it is certainly much better then a lot of other movies in this genre. It's about a serial killer copycatting well known serial killers. The cast is very good with Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter as the two main characters. They carry this movie, but the other actors are all good as well. There is plenty of tension and action to be entertained during two hours. You won't get bored for a second with Copycat. I certainly didn't.

Lee Eisenberg In her most famous role, Sigourney Weaver battled a bloodthirsty alien. Part of what was significant about that role was that the role got written for a man, but she convinced them to turn the character into a woman. Jon Amiel's "Copycat" also stars her, and also features a role originally written for a man but changed to a woman (Holly Hunter's character). I didn't find "Copycat" to be a great movie, but I liked how they build everything up. Probably my favorite scene was the video that turns the woman in the bathtub into the dancing hippie, but what Sigourney Weaver's character does during the climax is its own experience.Personally, I wish that there were more movies in which women get tough against danger. If this movie is any indication, Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter would be two of the ideal cast members for such a movie. "Copycat" probably won't be for everyone, but I recommend it.