Copycat is a 1995 psychological thriller about a psychologist and a homicide detective partnering to bring down a serial killer who copies other serial killers. It stars Sigourney Weaver, Holly Hunter, and Dermot Mulroney. I had never heard of this movie until I saw it on the Netflix top ten list of that week. I was surprised by the film for several reasons, including that it’s one that I hadn’t come across before.
Holly Hunter, Dermot Mulroney, and Sigourney Weaver are fairly well-known names in Hollywood. Additionally, Harry Connick Jr. has a pretty key role in Copycat. Of course, there are many amazing psychological thrillers and films about serial killers that I can have not possibly seen or heard of all of them. Yet, I still found myself surprised that I had never heard of Copycat for over 30 years. It’s a movie I thoroughly enjoyed, and it fits right into the types of movies that entertain me. This discovery made me appreciate Netflix’s top 10 lists even more. Let me explain.
I only watched Copycat because I was curious why a movie from the ‘90s was trending on Netflix. The top ten list from that week mainly included movies new to Netflix, but that’s what made the film stand out. Some movies were well-known or popular on the list, but not as many lesser-known movies. Copycat grossed a decent amount at the box office and did really well in VHS rentals, too.
This fact makes it even more surprising that I hadn’t heard of the film before, especially as someone who saw most movies when I was younger on TV or by renting them. However, in 1996, I was still a child. Therefore, it’s not surprising that I hadn’t seen a movie about a serial killer. It would be more surprising if I had seen it at that age. However, as a movie fan, especially one of thrillers, horror movies, and really good ‘90s films, I would assume somewhere the movie would come up on my radar.
Copycat being so popular amongst former movie rental people is probably why it started trending on Netflix. People may have recognized it, and nostalgia took over. It’s also a possibility that the description just intrigued watchers, similar to how it might have appealed to movie renters. It’s also kind of fascinating that Copycat was such a success on VHS and has now become a success on a streaming service, especially one with physical media origins.
In many ways, Netflix’s top ten lists are just the new versions of the “what’s new and popular” sections at movie rental stores. This makes Copycat’s popularity even more amusing.
It Was One Of The Most Enjoyable Movies I Watched That Week
I watched a lot of movies the week I saw Copycat on Netflix. Many of those films were 2025 releases. Most of them just didn’t deliver in terms of intrigue or entertainment. Copycat was such a fun and fascinating watch. It had all the attributes of a captivating ‘90s thriller. The characters capture my attention, the plot is enthralling, and the mystery kept me hooked for the 120-minute runtime.
It was simply a perfect popcorn watch. Copycat isn’t a movie that requires a lot of thinking, but it does force you to engage and pay attention. In a world with so many other distractions and time-consuming habits, sometimes it’s just enough for a movie to hold your attention for the full runtime.
Also, I found the whole idea of a copycat serial killer to be an overall smart plot choice. I don’t know that much about serial killers or true crime stories, but I recognized most of the serial killers mentioned in Copycat. This made me curious how the film would incorporate these killers’ stories into it. I needed to watch to the end.
It Reminded Me To Not Just Watch Recent Movies Or Well Known Ones
Netflix’s popular movies and TV shows tend to be some of the already popular movies and TV shows, or new Netflix TV shows released that week. Then there are occasionally a couple of films or TV shows that manage to crack the Netflix top ten list that are new to the platform, but not necessarily new or recently released movies. Sometimes they are indie films, cult classics, or lesser-known movies or TV shows.
I also noticed that, along with Copycat, Animal Kingdom also made Netflix’s top ten list of that week. Animal Kingdom was one of my favorite series during its initial run. Therefore, seeing that series do well on Netflix, and enjoying Copycat so much, it made me remember that there are a lot of great TV shows and movies that go beyond recent releases. Clearly this is an obvious thing to remember, but I, like many, sometimes get distracted by new films and TV shows. The newness makes me forget to watch classics or just older movies and TV shows.
So many of them deserve my attention as much as some of the movies that have just been released. Netflix’s top ten list may be mainly comprised of newer movies, but the few ones not in that category deserve some attention as well.
That’s What I Think Is The Beauty Of Netflix’s Top Ten: It Introduced Films To More People, Not Just New Ones
I enjoyed Copycat so much that I may rewatch it at some point before it leaves Netflix. These lists may seem meaningless to most, but they can become a marketing tool for the film. There are many other movies I found on Netflix that aren’t Netflix original content but things licensed by them. The film or TV show could be decades old, but I had never heard of it until Netflix recommended it or it made their top ten lists.
They can also introduce a new audience to the film or TV show. As someone who grew up watching Dawson’s Creek, I love seeing new people discover the melodramatic, romantic mess that I loved so much growing up, and it still has a place in my heart. Friends, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Degrassi are all TV shows I loved growing up and have had a resurgence of popularity amongst a younger generation because of their availability on streaming services.
These top ten lists can really be a great way to discover a new favorite, and that helps give them a purpose beyond just how they help Netflix determine what to renew or cancel. The introduction of new films and TV shows is what makes these lists worth having.
I Hope To See More Films Like Copycat Do Well On Netflix And Other Streaming Services
Copycat is a basic ‘90s thriller. It feels very specific to the genre and time. It also doesn’t feel like a big production movie with a big budget and huge stars. All three leads are famous and were at the time, but they weren’t the biggest names in Hollywood then.
Copycat, which is easy to watch with a Netflix subscription, isn’t a grandiose movie, but it’s not quite an indie film. It’s just a moderate-budget movie with a good story and great actors. I like to see more unexpected and less flashy movies succeed on streaming services. It could mean more movies like this make it to streaming services or are filmed, created, produced, and released.
