Sigourney Weaverhas been entertaining audiences all around the world for over 40 years, with the Golden Globe-winning actress having first skyrocketed to prominence with her role asthe iconic heroine Ellen Ripleyin the 1979 sci-fi horror masterpieceAlien.She would go on to appear in a slew of cinema knockouts likeGhostbusters, Working Girl, Gorillas in the Mist, andAvatar, often portraying strong and fearless characters who dominate every scene they’re in.
In 1995, the talented leading lady decided to branch out and headline the psychological thrillerCopycat, brilliantly playing an agoraphobic serial killer expert who is forced to help a determined San Francisco homicide detective hunt down a murderer terrorizing the city and taking inspiration from notorious serial killers. The underrated hit grossed $79 million and earned rave reviews from critics and moviegoers, nabbing a 79% Rotten Tomatoes score and retrospectively becoming one of the best thrillers of the decade; let’s take a closer look at the ’90s gem.
‘Copycat’ Features a Chilling Cat-and-Mouse Game
Afterbattling against terrifying aliens, malevolent ghosts, and gorilla poachers in Africa, Golden Globe-winner Sigourney Weaver set her sights on taking down a dangerous serial killer in the 1995 psychological thrillerCopycat,in which she appeared alongside Holly Hunter, Dermot Mulroney, and Harry Connick Jr. In the spine-tingling flick,Weaver stars as esteemed serial killer expert Dr. Helen Hudson, who, after being brutally attacked by one of her previous subjects and prison escapee Daryll Lee Cullum (Connick Jr.), becomes afflicted by a debilitating case of agoraphobia.
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As a result, Hudson conducts her everyday life safely behind a computer screen in her hi-tech apartment, but when a wave of violent murders begins to spread across the city of San Francisco, she is approached by homicide detective M.J. Monahan (Hunter) and her partner, Inspector Reuben Goetz (Mulroney) to help hunt down the perpetrator.Hudson realizes the evasive assailant is drawing inspiration from notorious serial killers when carrying out his crimes, forcing the criminal psychologist to face her past trauma as she becomes swept up in the killer’s demented cat-and-mouse game.
Weaver & Hunter Deliver Dynamite Performances
What makesCopycatso intriguing and different from its fellow ’90s thrillers is thatWeaver’s Dr. Helen Hudson is forced to get help from the man who nearly killed her and caused her to become reclusive from society. The usually amiable Connick Jr. was able to sink his teeth into the twisted role of serial killer Daryll Lee Cullum, who corresponds with the mysterious murderer plaguing San Francisco and targeting Hudson. The singer-turned-actor was able to showcase his range in the unnerving performance, as he would go on to be known for his work in the romantic dramaHope Floatsand in the animatedcult classicIron Giant.
The commanding on-screen presence of Hunter and her chemistry with Weaver also helped makeCopycatspecial, asit was refreshing to see two decorated actresses lead a crime thriller when the genre was heavily dominated by men. Weaver was able to show a more vulnerable side to herself as Hudson, as she had previously made a name for herself as the fierce,butt-kicking heroine Ellen Ripleyin the trailblazing sci-fi horror franchiseAlien.It was refreshing to see her play someone so timid and frightened when audiences expected her to take control and instead embody a character like Ripley.
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Many critics rightfully laudedCopycatas one of the finest and most underrated portrayals of Weaver’s illustrious career, withthe San Francisco Chroniclewriting, “Weaver’s bravura performance as an accomplished professional reduced to a trembling wreck is her most memorable, complex work to date.” Similarly, Hunter thrived as the spitfire homicide detective M.J. Monahan, who refuses to back down from the intimidating challenge offinding the serial killerterrorizing her city and Hudson, even as his chilling attacks escalate and she faces one hurdle after another.
Copycatnever ventures into romantic territory and, thankfully, doesn’t feature Weaver falling in love with the detective working the case, something that could have happened had the writers followed their initial storyline.Instead, the thriller focuses on the two resilient female leads and explores their own views of violence against women, a welcome switch-up from what was common in cinema at the time.Director Jon Amiel saidofCopycat’s empowering premise and winning execution:
“With two women, we could put an entirely different perspective on the violence and make it a movie about women dealing with violence against women rather than a movie exploiting violence against women. And then I stumbled onto a second realization–that I’d never seen a full-on suspense drama before with two women in the lead.”
How To Watch ‘Copycat’
Fans of Sigourney Weaver and taut psychological thrillers can revisit all the terror and spine-tingling action ofCopycatby streaming the ’90s gem onNetflix, Prime Video, Hulu, and Plex.
