Copycat, released in theaters on October 27, 1995, elegantly blends psychological suspense with a police procedural, delivering a taut thriller that probes the psyches of both victims and detectives. With haunting performances by Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, Dermot Mulroney, Harry Connick Jr. and William McNamara the film traverses the boundaries between obsession, recovery, and danger in a world haunted by violence.
Dr. Helen Hudson (Weaver), a renowned criminal psychologist specializing in serial killers, becomes the prey herself after being attacked by Daryll Lee Cullum (Connick Jr.), one of her own research subjects.
Surviving the near-fatal assault leaves her debilitated by severe agoraphobia, unable to leave her fortified San Francisco apartment and relying on her assistant Andy for connection to the outside world.
A subsequent series of murders gripping the city mirrors some of history’s most notorious serial killings—including details only an expert like Helen would grasp. Reluctantly drawn into the investigation by her expertise, she partners with tough, sardonic homicide detective M.J. Monahan (Hunter) and her partner Ruben Goetz (Mulroney).
Their odd-couple dynamic quickly becomes the emotional pulse of the film—Helen, brilliant but neurotic; M.J., methodical but wounded.
Together, they realize the unseen assailant is a “copycat killer,” meticulously recreating crimes from Helen’s own lectures, sending personal threats, and growing increasingly fixated on her.
The hunt becomes a nerve-jangling chess game, pushing Helen to face her greatest fears and drawing M.J. and Ruben ever closer to the killer’s next twisted blueprint.
When Andy is murdered and the killer kidnaps Helen, the film’s climax thrusts its two heroines into a fight for survival in the very same lecture hall where Helen’s trauma began.
The film concludes not just with violence averted, but with the hope of psychic wounds beginning to heal.
Copycat was praised for its female-led cast and the unflinching examination of trauma, isolation, and intellect in the cat-and-mouse dynamics of a serial killer story.
Weaver’s portrayal of vulnerability and Hunter’s measured tenacity give the film its psychological edge, standing out in a decade crowded with similar thrillers.
It remains a reference point for the genre—a showcase for complex women as both targets and agents of their fate.
Will Patton, J.E. Freeman and John Rothman round out the cast.
Jon Amiel (Sommersby, Entrapment) directed the film.
Sigourney Weaver, Dermot Mulroney and Holly Hunter in Copycat (Photo/Warner Bros.)
Reception for Copycat
Copycat grossed $5.2 million on its opening weekend, finishing fourth at the box office.
The film grossed $32.1 million in its theatrical run.
Roger Ebert gave Copycat three and a half out of four stars in his review.
Legacy
Copycat endures as a chilly meditation on how evil—and resilience—lurk just beyond our comfort zones.
