"Copycat" is a surprising good serial-killer thriller, that perhaps is not the most original movie around but its definitely one of the better executed ones.

The movie is well written, with a solid story, main characters and a couple of nice twists. At the beginning you don't really know what the movie is going about and everything is build up in a good, non-forced or overdone way. In the beginning its still a mystery who's behind the killings and it even is subtly implied that the killers could be one of the cops, or one of the other characters in the movie. The movie however takes a twist when it fully shows the killer, his preparations and his actions. The movie is at times told completely from the killers point of view. This works surprisingly effective and it doesn't ruin the tension or mystery of the movie, in any way.

What makes the movie effective and also in a way distinctive is that the main characters of the movie are two female characters. They are being portrayed by about the two strongest female leading Hollywood ladies of the moment; Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter. They are two strong and independently, different from each other characters that know to carry the movie. The movie also has an excellent supporting cast with Harry Connick Jr. in a disturbing role, Will Patton and the fairly unknown William McNamara as the killer of the movie. The fact that he isn't as well known as an actor perhaps makes his character work out all the better.

I have yet to see a Jon Amiel movie that is original on its own. His movies always heavily 'borrow' from other movies in the same genre. He's a real 'copycat' himself you may say. "Copycat" is really no exception to this but it this case it didn't bothered me since the execution of it all was superb and effective.

The movie is basically good and tense from start till finish, due to a good pace, interesting well written and developed characters and a good overall build up. The movie perhaps at the end turns into a bit of a formulaic and simple one but it doesn't really downgrade the movie in any way. It all makes this movie one of the better genre movies of the last couple of years. The movie has basically everything in it that is needed to make a good thriller.

The movie is good looking with an overall nice visual style, some nice cinematography, nimble editing and a suiting musical score from composer Christopher Young.

A simply great genre movie, that deserves some more recognition and that holds up surprising well against other classic genre examples such as "Silence of the Lambs" and "Se7en".

8/10

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This passable serial killer thriller has a fair share of shocks and plot twists along the way to make it consistently entertaining and the running time feels only a little too long. There's a nice glossy look to the film although sometimes it looks as if things are too bright: most of this film's scenes either take place in bright light, or in total darkness. There's little in-between, and some of the gloomy atmosphere of SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (a big influence) may have come in handy here.

Initially, the characters of Sigourney Weaver (reclusive type) and Holly Hunter are extremely irritating, but they gradually grow on you and you actually begin to care about them (if not warm to them) as the film progresses. That's character development for you; I would advise you to stick with it, though, as it takes a while to get used to Hunter's incredibly annoying, high-pitched voice. Weaver proves herself yet again to be a resourceful heroine, here battling the demons inside her head as well as the manic killer. Her character's agoraphobia is a classic plot point in the tradition of Hitchcock or de Palma (certain scenes are very reminiscent of BODY DOUBLE) and you can guarantee that it'll come back to haunt her just at the wrong moment. Dermot Mulroney makes the most of his small, likable role as a young police detective.

There's little in the way of violence, aside from a couple of throat-slashings, although the killer's demise is a nice spectacular shooting. One scene in the film I found to be incredibly disturbing and distasteful - the moment where Weaver receives a movie file through her email - but there's little else here that'll frighten you. Instead, the bulk of the film is of the typical police procedural nature, with our protagonists piecing together clues and discovering murder victims. The killer's motive and M.O. is nicely different from normal though and a good plot device. Otherwise, this is sound, if not incredibly exciting, viewing, which will keep you watching.

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.