In the mid-’90s, the serial killer genre was everywhere — a time when Seven and The Silence of the Lambs defined the psychological thriller as both intelligent and unnerving. Nestled among these giants was Jon Amiel’s Copycat (1995), a sleek and surprisingly tense entry that continues to hold up thirty years later, largely thanks to its powerhouse performances and sharp sense of restraint.

Sigourney Weaver stars as Dr. Helen Hudson, an agoraphobic criminal psychologist who becomes the target of a copycat killer recreating the crimes of history’s most infamous murderers. When Detective M.J. Monahan (Holly Hunter) enlists Helen’s help, the two form an uneasy alliance that becomes the film’s emotional anchor — a pairing as compelling as it is understated. Hunter brings grit and quiet empathy, while Weaver’s portrayal of trauma is as convincing as anything she’s ever done. Together, they elevate what could have been a routine procedural into something hauntingly human.

Jon Amiel directs with a cold precision, avoiding sensationalism in favour of tension that feels methodical and real. There’s a creeping paranoia throughout — wide, sterile spaces become cages for Helen’s fears, and the film’s rhythm mirrors her anxiety, fluctuating between moments of stillness and sudden panic. Dermot Mulroney and Will Patton lend solid support, but it’s Harry Connick Jr. who leaves the deepest scar. As Daryll Lee Cullum, the unhinged killer from Helen’s past, Connick gives an unexpectedly chilling performance — all sleaze and psychopathy, laced with just enough charisma to make the skin crawl.

While Copycat never reached the cultural heights of its genre peers, it arguably deserves more recognition. It’s intelligent without being pretentious, disturbing without resorting to excess. Its greatest strength lies in its empathy — the way it treats trauma and obsession not as spectacle but as psychological weight.

Thirty years on, Copycat remains a taut and classy thriller that bridges the gap between mainstream suspense and thoughtful character study. In an era of imitators, Amiel’s film proved that imitation itself could be both the weapon and the wound.

The Prognosis:

A tight, mature thriller carried by two phenomenal leads and a chilling supporting turn from Harry Connick Jr. Copycat might have arrived in the shadow of greater hits, but time has revealed its precision and heart.

• Saul Muerte