10 Awesome 90s Movies You've Probably Never Seen

Psychological thrillers can be so hit or miss, and the bar in the early 90s was set particularly high by Silence of the Lambs, which perhaps Copycat was made to emulate. Strong female lead? Check. Cat and mouse game with a demented serial killer? Double-check. The film is proof in the pudding, however, that there's nothing wrote with playing copycat, as long as you do it well.

For starters, Sigourney Weaver, who plays a famous criminal psychologist targeted by the film's villain, was one of the original tough-ladies. Like in Silence and other such movies with female protagonists, both Weaver and Holly Hunter face some challenges unique to women: Weaver is discredited by law enforcement and seen as "hysterical". Tension is masterful throughout the film, and a lot of it is based on Weaver's isolation, while the audience knows that her opinion and hunches are actually completely accurate.

While it would be a stretch to say Harry Connick Jr. is a good actor, his portrayal here of Darryl Lee Collum--part hillbilly, part zealot--is valid, not to mention pretty satisfactory considering it's so uncharacteristic of his image. The film is an anomaly for director Jon Amiel as well, who has otherwise made unoffensive comedies and romantic dramas.

The unfolding of the gruesome murders provide a lot of entertainment, a sort of narrative that's drawn comparison to those of Se7en--in this case, copying infamous serial killers like Ted Bundy and Son of Sam.