By Robert Scucci
| Published 1 hour ago

1995’s Copycat is one of those movies that should be in heavy rotation if you’re a true crime fan who also enjoys a solid psychological thriller. Like a proto version of Mindhunter, it leans into the lore surrounding heavy hitters like Albert DeSalvo, The Hillside Strangler, David Berkowitz, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Ted Bundy, but every single reference is filtered through the perspective of a strung out criminal psychology expert as she aids two homicide detectives in tracing a copycat killer who mimics the MOs of the serial killers who inspired him.

Through this framework, and with the help of Sigourney Weaver’s on-screen chemistry with Holly Hunter and Dermot Mulroney, Copycat becomes a fun murder mystery thriller that manages to appeal to both casual moviegoers and true crime buffs alike.

A Killer On The Loose, An Expert Trapped Inside Her Trauma

Copycat first introduces us to the trauma that forces criminal psychology expert Dr. Helen Hudson (Sigourney Weaver) into a reclusive lifestyle. Suffering from agoraphobia and drinking her way through each day, Dr. Helen is the ultimate authority on serial killer behavior. That authority comes at a cost after her dangerous run-in with escaped killer Daryll Lee Cullum (Harry Connick Jr.) during one of her lectures, an encounter that forces her to value her safety and privacy above everything else. While she still has a passion for her research and criminal profiling, Dr. Helen suffers anxiety attacks at the mere thought of leaving her luxury apartment, effectively trapping herself inside her own expertise.

When a string of murders begins to plague San Francisco, Inspector Mary Jane “M.J.” Monahan (Holly Hunter) and her partner, Inspector Ruben Goetz (Dermot Mulroney), are tasked not only with finding the culprit behind the slayings, but also with keeping the possibility of a serial killer under wraps in order to avoid sparking unnecessary public hysteria.

This is where the magic really happens in Copycat. Dr. Helen Hudson is a force to be reckoned with. Her pattern recognition and ability to profile on the fly as new evidence comes to light is intimidating to say the least. She initially helps M.J. and Ruben begrudgingly, but soon becomes just as consumed with the case as they are. M.J. is the inverse of Helen in almost every way. She lacks the years of experience needed to draw the same immediate connections, but makes up for it by trusting her instincts and acting decisively when it matters most.

As they work together, M.J., Ruben, and Dr. Hudson realize they are dealing with a serial killer whose MO is defined by the absence of one. Rather than developing his own methodology, the killer meticulously recreates the murder techniques and crime scene imagery of the serial killers he idolizes. By constantly changing his approach, he stays one step ahead of the inspectors hunting him, all while dropping increasingly unsettling hints that Dr. Helen Hudson herself is his ultimate target, for reasons that are not immediately clear.

The Perfect Intersection Of True Crime And Fiction

While Copycat leans heavily into true crime to build its internal logic, you do not need to be a true crime junkie to appreciate what it’s doing. References are limited to the most well-known real-life killers, giving casual viewers enough context to understand the stakes without requiring a post-watch research spiral.

The procedural details the film leans on are delivered in self-contained bursts of criminal profiling that are easy to follow, allowing viewers to simply sit back and watch the mystery unfold. The film never feels like it’s testing the audience or showing off its homework.

In other words, if you’re into shows like Mindhunter but less interested in the kind of granular breakdowns found in something like Last Podcast on the Left, Copycat strikes an ideal balance. It’s a rock-solid thriller that doesn’t require a crash course in the macabre to fully appreciate, and its slow-burn mystery keeps the tension simmering from start to finish.

Copycat is currently streaming for free on Tubi.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold was once — is still, really — a meme. He is also a Super Bowl champion. And social media lit up on Sunday because of that fact.

Darnold was perhaps the story of 2026’s Super Bowl LX — won by the Seattle Seahawks over the New England Patriots — because everyone loves an underdog. Darnold, a former top prospect, flamed out while playing for the flailing New York Jets and Carolina Panthers. Pit stops in San Francisco and Minnesota then led to Sunday’s triumphant victory with Seattle.

It was a full reversal for Darnold, who was once relegated to memedom. An admittedly hilarious graphic from 2019 created a meme format — Darnold pointing while given a random illness or ailment.

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Fans of Darnold, widely known as a chill and good guy, even created a subreddit called r/The_Darnold, where they celebrated the QB and all his associated memes. He was both beloved and mocked. Naturally, then, the memes flowed as Darnold led Seattle to victory in Super Bowl LX on Sunday. It was largely a celebration of an athlete who overcame lots of doubt and tough times.

It’s always heartwarming you get to see such an amazing comeback story — and the internet certainly celebrated Darnold’s moment in the sun on Sunday.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it’ll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today’s Hurdle, don’t worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Otherworldly.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

GODLY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

To saturate.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

IMBUE

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To scrape by.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

EKING

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To hunt.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

CHASE

Final Hurdle hint

Office work.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

ADMIN

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.