Interesting Plot Separates ‘Copycat’ From The Pack

A serial killer is on the loose. The psychologist who testified to put him in jail is his target. He’s clever and cunning. Only one minor mistake prevents him from killing the psychologist, and he is put back in jail, swearing someday to get her.

Thus opens “Copycat,” a copy of sorts of several recent suspense thrillers vying for attention. This movie, however, maintains an original plot and interesting characters - Sigourney Weaver as the psychologist and Harry Connick Jr. as the killer.

We resume the story 13 months later, when we see an agoraphobic Weaver terrified of everything, even though her attacker is safely in prison. Suddenly, the city is experiencing similarly committed murders, strangely ringing a bell with the shrink.

When she realizes what is going on, Weaver constantly calls the police department, but because of her fears, she never gives her name.

Eventually, two detectives played by Holly Hunter and Dermot Mulroney, convince Weaver to work with them on the case. It is then discovered that the murders are tied together in a particularly fascinating way - they were committed in the same fashion by a serial killer several decades before.

A curve is thrown into the plot with the next murder, as it seems totally unrelated to the others. But again, the psychologist smells a rat. This murder is committed in the same style as another famous killer, accompanied by a note threatening her.

This pattern continues for a little while, until Weaver herself becomes the target, and then we see several surprises in a startling and exciting climax.

The acting is fairly good, but inconsistent. Excellent, though, is the novice effort of Harry Connick Jr. He creates a delightfully diabolical killer with a threatening Southern accent on every word he speaks.

Weaver’s role is a tough one to decipher. While the plot establishes her as totally destroyed by the confrontation at the outset of the film, she is often quite pleasant and sure of herself. Then, inexplicably, she will turn back to her terrified self.

Holly Hunter is slightly onedimensional. We see her for the better part of the movie as a personality-deprived cop, obsessed with her job, until the end of the film, when she suddenly grows a sensitive side.

The supporting cast, however, is quite good. Dermot Mulroney is quite enjoyable. He is always flirting with someone, but can be as serious a cop as Hunter when he needs to be. William McNamara, as the “copycat” killer, is just as delightfully diabolical as Connick and highlights his enjoyment of killing even more than Connick does.

The plot and atmosphere of this movie is much like “Seven,” and characters in the two movies are much the same. They are also comparable in their frightening nature - not so much as horror movies, but in how real the stories could be. As is the case with both movies, serial killers just don’t breed happy thoughts.

Even in a time when it seems that theaters are being bombarded by too many dark suspense thrillers, “Copycat” manages to take a somewhat unique approach to produce a thoughtful and enjoyable film.

Grade: B+