Copycat (1995)

Copycat is the kind of slick, grown-up thriller that grabs you with a familiar hook and then wins you over with how sharply it’s acted and how nervily it’s directed. Sigourney Weaver turns Helen Hudson’s fear into something intimate and riveting, while Holly Hunter brings a bracing, blue-collar grit that makes their uneasy partnership feel alive rather than “movie-plot” convenient. Jon Amiel keeps San Francisco cold and watchful, building suspense with smart pacing and a steady ratcheting of dread instead of cheap twists, even as the killer’s “greatest hits” concept adds an extra layer of unease. It is violent and intense in places and definitely not a comfort watch, but if you want a tense, intelligent crime mystery powered by two formidable leads, this one delivers.

Copycat is aiming for a slick, ’90s-style cat-and-mouse thriller that pairs a traumatized expert with a hard-edged cop, and on that level it mostly delivers the genre beats it promises. Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter do strong, committed work that gives the story some emotional weight, even when the script starts leaning on coincidences and “just go with it” logic. The problem is that the plot can feel contrived and the mystery isn’t exactly coy about where it’s heading, so if you’re allergic to predictable serial-killer mechanics, you’ll be checking your watch. Also, the violence is nasty and lingering at times, so if you want your crime thrillers tense but not grim, this may be more unpleasant than entertaining.