Mimic (1997) User Reviews (211)

A Guillermo Del Toro Monster Movie

[Darkside-Reviewer · 7/10 · 15 September 2019]

The first time I saw this movie was in 2001 on VHS and the younger me saw a really good monster movie that made me fear Cockroaches and other such insects after seeing them evolve in this movie to a bigger and more disgusting insectoid.

I recently rewatched this movie in 2019 after someone told me it's actually a Guillermo Del Toro movie and as a big fan of his movies I wanted to see what I had missed all those years ago and honestly I have a bigger appreciation for this movie as an adult and movie buff what I thought was a simple monster movie was actually a lot more interesting and thought out than I realised with great cinematography suspence and a dark and gritty look to the movie that after watching the characters move around in disgusting wet and moldy subway tunnels makes you wanna take a shower afterwards.

The movie follows Dr Susan Taylor (Mira Sorvino) a scientist and insect specialist and her husband Dr Peter Mann (Jeremy Northam) who is a specialist on diseases for the CDC who after an outbreak of a deadly disease that is carried by Cockroaches that is deadly to children they work together to create a new breed of Cockroache that when released into the insect population kills all other Cockroaches then dies unable to breed or survive longer than designed to three years pass and all signs of the disease have vanished but now people have been dissappearing in the subways of the city and Susan comes across a new breed of Cockroache with the same genetic markers as the ones she created only these are much bigger smarter and have evolved to mimic there predators humans now she and her husband take to the subway tunnels to find out how the Cockroaches survived and undo the mess they created.

I highly recommend this movie to any horror movie fan and fans of monster movies Del Toro brings his unique style of writing and directing to this movie and even though this is considered a B movie and Del Toros early work its still worth your time and gives the effort of an A movie.

I recommend getting the 2017 Directors Cut release of the movie either on Blu Ray or DVD it is much better than the theatrical release and has added scenes and is remastered for better quality also the special features and interviews with Del Toro are interesting and in them he is quoted as saying "This version of the movie is what I wanted to create from the start"

Could Have Been A Whole Lot Worse

[Theo Robertson · 7/10 · 7 July 2003]

The idea of a film featuring genetically modified humanoid insects stalking the streets of New York makes me believe it would have a long shelf life - It`d spend a long time on a shelf waiting for a distributor , but MIMIC was far better than I expected . Director Guillermo Del Toro rightly concentrates on mood and atmosphere and also deserves a mention for making sure the cast didn`t camp the film up because it`s the sort of film that`s difficult for actors to believe in but everyone on screen takes it absolutely seriously . The screenwriters also deserve some praise for taking a ludicurous premise ( Remember we`re talking humanoid insects here ) and writing a story that makes you forget you`re watching something laughably far fetched . We also get to learn that soldier insects have to be killed stone dead in order to stop fighting and that insects take their pray to an underground lair to be eaten so the audience learns something about both insects and how to telegraph a script . My only criticism about the screenplay is that it does feel rather like an ALIENS type movie towards the end but that`s a very minor criticism .

So I fairly enjoyed MIMIC . It`s not as good as QUATERMASS AND THE PIT which is the greatest film to have the underground transport system as its setting but it`s a whole lot better than other subway or bug movies

As good as it had any right to be.

[gridoon · 7/10 · 9 July 2003]

Just like the giant cockroaches in the movie mimic their predators (humans), director Guillermo Del Toro mimics David Fincher's style in "Seven": gimmicky opening credits, excessively dark photography, constant rain, claustrophobic atmosphere. Nonetheless, it is his superior craftsmanship and visual sense that elevates this otherwise standard, conventional monster movie into an above-average standard, conventional monster movie. He is helped, of course, by a capable cast (Mira Sorvino holds her own as the lead), and by the impressively designed creatures, which look much better than the monsters in some more recent horror films. (**1/2)

Dark and atmospheric horror

[bob the moo · 21 January 2002]

In New York a disease carried by cockroaches threatens to wipe out a whole generation of children. A scientist, Susan Tyler, breeds a new bug that mimics the cockroach and wipes out the disease. However years later something is living in New York's subways that looks human. Tyler suspects that her breed has not died out but has evolved to imitate it's natural predator - us. Her investigations into the subway lead her to more than she bargained for.

This is an atmospheric thriller from Guillermo del Toro, director of The Devil's Backbone and Cronos. He manages to mix great director with good old fashioned monster horror to great effect. The concept itself is clever, even if the idea of bugs evolving to look very like humans is a little far fetched. However, once the action moves to the subway the fact that the bugs are clearly lethal no matter what they look like, makes this less important. The film is quite short and makes the action come quicker and seem more urgent. Several people get killed by the bug that wouldn't usually get killed in this sort of horror (children for example), this is very effective as it is quite scary to see the unexpected happen.

The mood is dark throughout and Del Toro uses the sewers and subway to great effect, creating a real sense of claustrophobia - like the humans have entered the bug's world and not the other way round. The bugs are shown early on in the film - usually not a good idea (keep it hidden in the Jaws way), but here the special effects are good enough to make the bug really believable. However the horror is not in seeing the bugs but in they way they hunt and kill - the fear is in what could happen. That's why seeing them doesn't take anything away.

The cast are great, Sorvino especially is very good in the lead. Jeremy Northam and Charles S. Dutton are good in support and Abraham Murray adds a bit of cameo class (though his role is quite unnecessary). But the director is the real star adding some genuine scares and real mood to a film that could have easily been just another creature-feature that goes straight to video and straight to the back of your mind.

Overall a superior creature horror film.

Holy Genetically Mutated Bugs Batman!

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 21 October 2020]

Charles S. Dutton is no stranger to ugly predatory creatures. He dealt with equally, if not more formidable creatures in "Alien 3". Instead of aliens, this time Dutton has to contend with mutated overgrown bugs that try to mimic human beings. These bugs were the result of human tampering (as so many genetic mutation movies are).

There was a deadly disease called Strickler's Disease that struck the island of Manhattan and it was carried by the common cockroach. Since roaches are impervious to nearly any form of poison, an entomologist created a new weapon to kill them. Dr. Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) created something called the Judas Breed which was a cross between termites and mantids which she released into the cockroach hub to let them do their thing. They were designed to kill cockroaches and die out in six months. Three years after the city's children were saved from Strickler's they had something new to contend with: man-sized predatory bugs.

This Guillermo Del Toro written and directed film was his second in the U.S. market. Not bad Guillermo, not bad at all. He built up the suspense of these creatures until he got us to a scene in which four people were alive and trapped in an old subway car. He did opt for cliché by killing the two most obvious and allowing to live the two most obvious candidates. He killed the old shoeshine man (Giancarlo Giannini) and the MTA cop (Dutton) (Black guys hardly ever survive horror movies if they're in one). Naturally, Dr. Tyler lived (damsel in distress) and her husband lived (they were trying to have a baby so you can't kill her spouse).

Even with the predictability it was an intense film. The bugs were cinematically excellent--the way they looked, the way they moved. The dire situation the group of hostages were in (as in being trapped by the bugs) was bone chilling and the final act to destroy them was tremendous. Del Toro ended it a bit sappy, but I guess he has to reach the more tender of his target audience.

Stylish horror with great visuals.

[paulclaassen · 6/10 · 22 April 2019]

I love Guillermo del Toro's films for his unique vision and storytelling. 'Mimic' is one of his early feature films and already back then his trademark visionary style became evident. The film manages to create suspense from ordinary, everyday events. I enjoyed the husband and wife team Dr Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) and Dr Peter Mann (Jeremy Northam). The sincere, strong bond between them made me root for them even more.

The Underground scenes with the cast being trapped inside a stationary train and being attacked by giant roaches were by far the film's best scenes. Charles S. Dutton had a small role, but delivered! There are a few genuinely disturbing scenes as the giant roaches attack young children. The little boy constantly clapping spoons was a bit annoying, though, although I understand the relevance of this character. The film's visual effects are very good.

The ending leaves the door wide open for a sequel. (Just a pity the original characters and cast did not reprise their roles in the sequel).

Del Toro's quirky, inventive monster movie

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 28 August 2016]

Guillermo del Toro, responsible for interesting yet flawed vampire flick CRONOS, is definitely a name to watch out for. He makes the faultless transition to America here and gives us a typical monster movie which remains hugely enjoyable despite the rather hackneyed plot. At least the idea of the monsters - genetically modified insects - is rather more original than some other recent creations. Del Toro paints an artistic picture of life in New York - shot through soft brown filters - and has his usual collection of oddball characters, including a boy who plays the spoons. In terms of style, del Toro is one of the best in his field at the present time and is light years ahead of any American competition, although it does take a while for the full impact of the cinematography to hit you.

This film best be avoided by those of us who hate insects, because it doesn't portray them in a good light. From the creepy opening titles - showing a montage of pinned butterflies - to the icky and slimy creatures running around in the subways, they're everywhere, and MIMIC takes every opportunity to zoom in on their ugly features. The film has a good range of actors and actresses in it. Mira Sorvino, in the title role, is a typically tough and yet realistic heroine, and thankfully much less annoying than her counterpart in THE RELIC, Penelope Ann Miller. Jeremy Northam is somewhat bland in his macho leading role but the show stealer is Charles S. Dutton, better known to audiences for his role as the tough Dillon in ALIEN 3, and he here plays a tough, wise-cracking comic relief policeman who finds himself caught up in the activities. Dutton is probably the most sympathetic character of the lot.

As for the action sequences, they are long and varied. Good use is made of the creepy shadows and rubble in the subways, and the best scene of the film comes when the band of survivors group up in a train carriage while the insects attack from outside. The gore isn't excessive but is used sparingly, and therefore more effective. The main fault of the film lies in the high number of clichés and scenes stolen from other countless horror films, a fault which seems to plague cinema these days. Take for example the bit where an insect bursts into the carriage and then disappears under a cabinet, a cross-breed of similar scenes from NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, Friday the 13th and ALIENS. These scenes are numerous and come across as disappointing, as does the tacked-on happy ending where Northam survives the huge gas explosion and they all live happily ever after. Speaking of the explosion, there's a great pyrotechnic display at the end, which really closes up all the loose ends and harks back to horror films from the 1930s such as THE BLACK CAT and FRANKENSTEIN where all creatures and villains met a fiery demise.

However, one great thing MIMIC has going for it are the special effects, which pretty much surpass a lot of what's gone before. The scenes with the insects in their human disguise are chilling, but there's an excellent centre piece where one of them spreads its wings, takes off and carries Sorvino away! CGI obviously plays a big part here and fortunately doesn't look too fake, computer graphics seem to be improving all of the time. The CGI effects are used sparingly and therefore are more effective and realistic than other CGI-fests such as GODZILLA. These flying insects are really something to see and definitely worth looking out for. MIMIC may be simply a new take on an old cliché, but it's a heck of a lot of fun and is simply one of the best-made monster films of the '90s.

A smart , hip adrenaline rush movie well realized by Guillermo Del Toro

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 6 January 2013]

Eerie film with astonishing images , suspenseful and original direction by Guilermo Del Toro . Three years ago entomologist Dr. Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) genetically created an insect to kill cockroaches carrying a virulent disease . For thousands of years, man has been evolution's greatest creation , now the insects are out to destroy their only predator, mankind . Susan and Peter (Jeremy Northam) are called in to investigate.

This heart-pounding picture is full of suspense ,thrills , mystery, lots of gore and a storm criticism to genetic engineering . This slick monster-feast is a triumph of style , well paced and full of frightening scenes . It's packed with overwhelming body count , loathing scenes , grotesque killing, and rivers of red blood . Interesting as well as thought-provoking screenplay by Matthew Robbins and the same director ,screenwriters Matt Greenberg and John Sayles are uncredited in the movie, but were credited in some of the trailers . The movie delivers the goods with hair-rising chills and noisy scares when the giant cockroaches appear savagely stalking and attacking its preys , including children . This is an OK amusing juvenile with interesting characters and scientific plot but quite entertaining . It's remarkable for FX recreation the ferocious and carnivorous beast developing a bloodthirsty hunger for human eating . The actors give vigorous physical performances dodging the giant bugs recreated by means of make-up realized by Rob Bottin , adding the prolific computer generator, as usual . The mutant cockroaches , themselves, of course, are the real stars, and they're marvellous terrifying astounding, and quite convincing .The picture is smartly designed and stylishly photographed by Dan Laustsen . Thrilling and intriguing musical score by Marco Beltrani . The motion picture was well directed by Guillermo Del Toro , though the scene where Mira Sorvino and Jeremy Northam walk in the hall with all the sick kids lying in their beds was actually directed by Ole Bornedal, one of the producers on the film . Del Toro delivers the terror movie goods with sense of style , though was originally planned as a single 30-min. short as part of a feature of sci-fi/horror/comedy shorts by Miramax. Director Guillermo del Toro disowned the film after constant clashes with Bob Weinstein, who would frequently visit the set and make unreasonable demands about what should be shot, deviating away from the script , since then del Toro has never worked with the Weinsteins. Guillermo is an expert on murky atmosphere such as proved in ¨Cronos¨ , ¨Pan's labyrinth¨, ¨Hellboy I¨ and ¨Hellboy 2¨. The picture will appeal to horror buffs and Guillermo Del Toro fans . It's followed by two sequels : Mimic 2 with Alix Koromzay , John Polito and Bruno Campos ; and Mimic 3 with Lance Henriksen and Karl Geary .

Dark and grimy, sure, but also weightless and messy

[aidenpedersen · 3/10 · 9 September 2020]

Perhaps I was a bit too harsh on this film, considering I went in expecting it to be significantly better, but there was honestly nothing compelling about this film. Right off the bat, the inciting incident is very lackluster. We barely get anything to fully understand the scale of what's going on, and somehow that stays consistent for the entire runtime. This film is also pretty hard to get into because of the characters. It's possible that with better actors, they could've been far more compelling, yet, unfortunately, I still highly doubt that. Because of the lackluster characters, I never felt anything when they were in danger, which isn't something you want in a horror film. I usually like Guillermo del Toro, and while his direction at least shines a little bit, and there are elements that could lead me to believe he was actually interested in this project, it felt ridiculously weightless and messy. I didn't even find this to be 'so bad its funny', which is really irritating, because at least those are kinda fun. Mimic, despite having a short runtime of 1 hour and 45 minutes, STILL felt too long.

3.1/10

Classic monster movie that is overlooked

[varminttank · 6/10 · 3 February 2020]

First I'd like to point out how good the movie looks to be shoot in 1997 . The streets always seem to be dark. And I like how you see the roach man but he is still Hidden in the shadows .. could it be better yes but not that bad if you ask me.. my kids are scared to death lol

You've got a HUGE bug problem, lady...

[Coventry · 5/10 · 13 May 2006]

With "Cronos" being immensely popular among horror-loving audiences, its Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro was quickly offered a reasonable budget and an adequate crew to shoot his very first US film. The result was "Mimic"; a surprisingly ordinary Sci-Fi thriller that balances between an "Alien" rip-off and a typically 70's creature feature. It's not a bad film and definitely one of the best achievements of the weak 90's decade, but it lacks something special, something exclusive to make it truly memorable and/or an absolute genre favorite. The film revolves on a deadly plague of genetically manipulated cockroaches and the mimicking of the title reverts to the scientific fact (apparently) that certain insects physically 'imitate' their natural enemies. What I really appreciated about the film is the whole background-story why Dr. Susan Tyler tampered with the DNA of cockroaches in the first place! No deranged scientists messing with Mother Nature's creations to boost up their own egos this time, as the genetically altered cockroaches exterminated the carriers of a disastrous epidemic that nearly killed an entire generation of New York children. Only, the new & stronger roaches refused to die afterwards... Three years later, the species moved itself up a couple of places in the food chain and lurks its human pray in the subway tunnels beneath the city. "Mimic" eventually disappoints because of the shoddy special effects and some hopelessly muddled sub plots. A boy obsessed with shoes? Dubious 12-year-old merchants?? The impenetrably dark subway-setting hasn't got anything original to offer and there sure are scarier monsters than man-sized cockroaches. Del Toro's directing is occasionally very stylish, especially during the atmospheric opening sequences with the aforementioned eerie epidemic, and Mira Sorvino is truly good as the lead heroine. Good supportive cast, too, with F. Murray Abraham ("Amadeus", "The Name of the Rose"), Giancarlo Giannini ("Black Belly of the Tarantula") and Norman Reedus in his (very small) debut role.

An underrated movie in about every way.

[Terr32 · 9/10 · 15 October 2000]

I realize that there have been LOTS of giant bug movies made, but there have been very few that have had a combination of great acting and superior special effects. This movie has both and throw in a lot of suspense. There are great moments in this movie that it seems passed most people by. No, it wasnt a big money maker(I honestly dont remember it hitting the theaters)but it is tremendous movie. Some didnt like the ending, but I did. I came to like these characters so much that I wanted them to survive. Thats a tribute to the actors for creating interesting characters. By comparison to other movies of this kind, I would say it belongs in the top five. If Aliens is counted as a 'bug' movie, I feel it is on top and I would put the 50's ant movie Them up there, too. Mimic belongs there, without question. It deserves so much more than the ratings Ive seen on here. Its a 9 out of 10 in my book.

mimics a lot of other movies, but not terrible

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 24 October 2006]

On the surface, "Mimic" appears to be your average scientific-experiment-goes-awry-and-kills-people story. But it has a certain charm to itself that few movies attain. Maybe it's that the cast members understand that they're in sort of a nonsense story, so they don't take it too seriously to make the movie stupid, or that the performances make the whole thing come out pretty clever, but either way, the movie is very easy to like. I certainly thought that they did a good job, even if the movie is rather predictable.

So see it. Mira Sorvino, Charles S. Dutton, Giancarlo Giannini and F. Murray Abraham (happy birthday, F. Murray!) all turn in some swell performances. This movie won't "bug" you at all.

Cliche

[armadilla17 · 2/10 · 28 July 2020]

If you like predictable cliche driven movies with wicked amounts of plot armour for the main cast then this is for you. I will try and find the director's cut and compare because this was the studio cut which he disowned.

Freaky!

[JOS87 · 24 September 1999]

Well I saw this movie at 2:00 am, so it really freaked me out. In the beginning there's a bunch of sick kids so Mira Sorvino invents a bug that, well does something, obviously- I didn't really get that. Then three years later those bugs grow into huge insects that fly and kill people. Mira Sorvin was pretty good actually and I must say that a lot of the performances were good, or at least I thought so. The idea is good, and the bugs look realistic, it's a pretty good movie actually, I enjoyed it, of course I couldn't get any sleep after it but I liked it. 4 outta 5

Something wicked this way crawls...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 10 January 2016]

"Mimic" is one of those types of horror Sci-Fi movies that can be watched again and again, with a few years in between each viewing. And that is because of director Guillermo del Toro managing to put together a riveting story that crawls in under the skin and sticks with you.

The story in "Mimic" is about a man-made mutated cockroach variant that were intended to destroy a mysterious disease that were plaguing mankind. But cockroaches are resilient bugs and nature has a way of evolving, leaving the insects out to destroy the only predator that threaten them, mankind.

In itself a rather simple storyline, but there are layers to "Mimic" that add to the enjoyment of the movie, such the individual stories and backgrounds of the characters, and the fact that mankind brought about the abomination that they are now facing.

This first "Mimic" movie does have some good talents on the cast list, including Mira Sorvino, Josh Brolin, Charles S. Dutton and even Norman Reedus. The actors and actresses did help make "Mimic" stand out as a good horror Sci-Fi and as a watchable movie.

For a movie of this type then the special effects are crucial. And the effects team in "Mimic" did come together quite nicely and came up with some very interesting effects and creature designs. I have always been fascinated with the mimic ability of these insects since the first time I watched "Mimic" back in the late 1990's.

"Mimic" is an entertaining movie that does hold some good thrills. For a horror movie, then there is actually nothing scary about it. But that is not a bad thing, because the movie is entertaining as a thriller. And director Guillermo del Toro masterfully built up the suspense in the movie quite nicely, a suspense that permeated the entire movie from start to end.

La cucaracha, la cucaracha, Mira Sorvino kicks your ass!

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 8 June 2010]

In New York, a deadly disease carried by cockroaches is in danger of wiping out an entire generation of children. Sexy entomologist Dr. Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) believes that the answer to the problem is a genetically engineered bug, sterile and with a limited lifespan, that secretes an enzyme designed to speed up the roaches metabolism, thereby starving them to death.

Three years after introducing her killer bug to the cockroach community, the disease is a thing of the past; unfortunately, Mother Nature has a surprise up her sleeve—Susan's bugs have evolved into intelligent, man-sized, man-eating monsters capable of mimicking humans.

Although big bug movies are usually tackled in a fun, campy manner given their patently ludicrous premise, Mexican director Guillermo del Toro approaches his tale with the same grim solemnity, symbolism, and dark fairytale style atmosphere which typifies much of his other output. The setting is the grimy streets and even grimier underground system of the Big Apple; it's nearly always raining; and everything is artfully lit by faulty fluorescent lights, which cast eerie shadows and lend a feeling of unease: and the amazing thing is, it probably all would have worked, if it hadn't been for those meddling studio types.

This being del Toro's first Hollywood flick, the people in charge were apparently a little edgy about letting a relatively inexperienced foreigner have complete creative freedom on their project. A little studio interference later and what you have is a pretty decent film that could have been so much better if only the director had been allowed to do his thing without restraint. The end result certainly has its good bits (great production design, a few decent action scenes, cool critters etc.), but there are other moments which feel rushed, ill considered, and just a tad plain awkward.

I particularly disliked the autistic lad whose raison d'être seemed to be to allow Susan Tyler to show her protective maternal side in the finale, much like Ellen Ripley in Aliens, a film to which Mimic bears more than a passing resemblance (a dark claustrophobic atmosphere and a voracious monster that hides in the shadows). The ending, although well handled by del Toro, also contains some ridiculous plot devices, including an abandoned underground trolley that still functions after fifty years, a missing fuse replaced by a pair of wire spectacles, and Susan Tyler's husband somehow escaping a massive gas explosion.

I enjoyed Mimic for what it was—an interesting work from a talented film-maker that sadly failed to meet its potential—and would definitely be interested in seeing a 'Director's Cut' (especially if there's a longer version of the scene where Sorvino is perched on the edge of a bath in her undies—hubba hubba!); but in the meantime, I simply must find out whether Sorvino's hair was deliberately styled to look like an insect's antennae (two strands of hair dangle in front of her face), or whether I'm simply looking too hard for things that just aren't there.

A great early effort from del Toro that displays many of his classic trademarks...

[dee.reid · 7/10 · 5 November 2013]

In New York City in 1994, Strickler's Disease is an epidemic that is wiping out the city's population of young children. The carrier of Strickler's Disease has been identified as the common cockroach. Entomologist Dr. Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) has a plan to release the "Judas Breed," a genetically engineered insect resembling a gruesomely unholy combination of a roach, a praying mantis and a termite, into the sewers to kill the disease-spreading cockroaches. Within months, the city's cockroach population has been virtually wiped out, thus bringing a very swift end to Strickler's Disease, with the Judas Breed insects genetically designed to die out after a single generation.

Tyler and her colleague, CDC physician Dr. Peter Mann (Jeremy Northam), enjoy their 15 minutes of fame while also finding the time somewhere in their quest to begin an affair and get married.

Three years later, in 1997, a string of gruesome murders and disappearances has the local cops puzzled and fearing that a serial killer may be on the loose. However, startling evidence begins to arise to suggest that the Judas Breed not only never died out (like they were genetically modified to do so after a single generation), but have evolved into a perfect hunter that is now, in evolutionary terms, a deadly rival to human beings as the dominant species of the planet, and have been living and breeding by themselves in the abandoned subway tunnels of New York City for the past three years. The creatures have also evolved the ability to begin to mimic their greatest adversary: human beings.

"Mimic" is the 1997 big-studio English-language debut of Mexico's famed Guillermo del Toro ("Cronos"), who not only directed the feature, but also shares writing credits with co-screenwriter Matthew Robbins. The story itself is adapted from the short story of the same name by the late science fiction author Donald A. Wollheim (which I have not yet read).

"Mimic" contains many of the same directorial trademarks that del Toro has since become famous for, including a strong humanistic touch with identifiably human characters, insects, religious symbolism and allegory/imagery, and some occasionally grotesque violence/gore. (And of course the movie also has a dire warning about science, unchecked, going places that it shouldn't - in this case, upsetting the balance of nature through genetic engineering.) While "Mimic" can be accused of containing many slasher movie elements that are also dually characteristic of much of today's horror (don't get me wrong, del Toro is skilled in the direction department and gets a few good scares and occasionally shocking and gruesome imagery), it is balanced out with an interesting premise that reveals that there is a lot more going on here than just a monster on the loose killing people.

As I noted before, del Toro has a keen eye for religious symbolism and imagery, and he takes this with the Judas Breed - an obvious reference to the biblical Judas Iscariot, who of course, betrayed Jesus Christ to the Romans for 30 pieces of silver. Here, genetically modified insects resembling the carriers of the deadly disease are introduced into the malefactor's population, only to "betray" them and wipe them out in the end. But in a horrifying irony, the same creatures that were designed to be our saviors, may just replace us as this planet's dominant species. It's pretty frightening stuff when you get down to it.

For this type of picture, I find how incredible it was that del Toro was able to get Mira Sorvino for the lead in this movie, coming just two years after her Oscar-winning performance in "Mighty Aphrodite" (1995). She is seen as someone who believes in serving the greater good by trying to eradicate a horrific disease, only to learn later of the error of her mistakes in trying to play God and must now put her own life at risk to clean up those mistakes and save the world.

Other performances are worthy of honorable mention, including Jeremy Northam as her husband, and Charles S. Dutton as the hard-nosed metro-transit cop Leonard. Alexander Goodwin is also quite charming as Chuy, the autistic son of shoe-shiner Manny (Giancarlo Giannini), who also possess an uncanny ability to communicate with the deadly creatures.

"Mimic" is a great early effort from the one of this generation's most visionary filmmakers. Guillermo del Toro would gain later degrees of fame with the superhero films "Blade II" (2002) and the "Hellboy" series, before becoming international and Hollywood royalty with his best feature to date, "Pan's Labyrinth" (2006). He would also become blockbuster gold earlier this year with "Pacific Rim" (2013).

7/10

Bugs

[alansabljakovic-39044 · 3/10 · 16 May 2020]

Mimic is one of those generic horrors with nothing that really stands out. I don't like 90's gritty movies and this one is definitely one of the them. Recycled plot from Alien plus awful score make this movie almost unwatchable, add to that bad character development (Josh Brolin is criminally underused in this) and you got yourself one of the worst Del Toro movies. Some parts were entertaining but Del Toro made much better movies later.

A Surprisingly Good Horror B-Movie if You Have no Troubles with Cockroach

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 1 September 2003]

New York has an outbreak caused by cockroaches. The entomologist Dr. Susan Tyler (the gorgeous Mira Sorvino) decides to release some mutants' cockroaches with modified DNA to exterminate the bugs and programmed to not reproduce themselves. However, this life form evolutes and becomes a bigger threaten to human race. Dr. Susan, together with her husband, a subway guard and a shoe repairman will fight against these mutations. This is a surprisingly good horror B-movie. It keeps tension along the whole story. However, it is not recommended for viewers with trouble with cockroaches and with weak stomachs. My vote is seven.

Resembles a very poor horror movie

[Alan One · 3/10 · 18 October 1999]

This is a textbook case of a movie attempting futilely to use scientific premises to construct an interesting plot. To cure a plague, a race of genetically-altered cockroaches are released in the sewers of New York City. The plague is cured, and the cockroaches are assumed to have run out their pre-determined lifespan. Naturally, quite the opposite turns out to be true, as the protagonists discover the roaches have evolved into gigantic killing machines. And not only are they efficient killers, they also can fold their carapace to appear more human-like.

How did this happen? Through the miracle of evolution, according to the scientists. Okay, but in just three years? Yes, say the scientists, as insects they can go through millions of generations every year. And this is where things get silly.

First, we are shown multiple scenes of the roaches in action: they are larger than human, wielding scimitar-like claws, and flying circles around their prey. Does such a creature really need to blend in to get its job done? Second, evolution doesn't produce mimicry just because it seems like a good idea. There has to be a well-established advantage, and usually a close relationship between the mimic and the thing mimicked. The roaches wouldn't start looking like humans until there was significant contact between the two, and a significant disadvantage (say, death) to those that didn't look human. And yet, there's no mention of them ever having been seen before, and as was noted earlier, humans aren't much of a match regardless of how the roaches look.

It would be easy to overlook these flaws if there was something else to like in Mimic, but there truly isn't. We are encouraged to sympathize with the main protagonists because they have trouble conceiving a child; then at the end, it is suggested sloppily that they will become guardians of an autistic orphan. This all occurs while we're still trying to figure out how the male protagonist survived the explosion he was just at the center of, which destroyed the extensive roach nest in its entirity. (Apparently, he fell into some water.) Although the scenes in the nest are somewhat interesting, the movie as a whole is not engaging.

One of the Best SF/Horror Hybrids of the 90s

[Space_Mafune · 8/10 · 7 November 2002]

With a continuous build-up of suspense and terror, watching this film you never really know whether or not any of the leading protagonists will make it out alive. The science fiction story line is almost convincing enough to make parts of the plot seem possible. F. Murray Abraham has an outstanding guest role and gets to deliver the best lines in the film. Despite criticism directed towards her, I felt Mira Sorvino was also quite good and believable in her role. The direction of Guillermo Del Toro is tight and well-paced. The only real criticism I have is there are a few too many convenient chance meetings and a few too many instances of people being in the right (or wrong) place at the right time. Also I felt the movie was just a little too quick in unveiling its mystery.

Del Toro's disappointment

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 6/10 · 19 March 2012]

I remember vividly going to see Mimic upon its release back on July 2nd 1998. It barely got into UK cinemas, and was dumped in the tiny Screen 5 at the old Odeon cinema in Edinburgh for all of one week before disappearing. They'd never do that to a Guillermo Del Toro film now that he's a popular director. But even back then his trademark imagery of insects, muck, and oppressive weather were thick throughout the movie.

A strange virus carried by cockroaches is killing-off New York's kids until Entomologist (insect scientist) Susan Tyler (the tall, gorgeous, big-boobed Academy Award-winning Miro Sorvino, who just...vanished) and her boyfriend Peter Mann (Clive Owen's twin brother Jeremy Northam) create a new breed of cockroach to kill them off. With the children safe they all breath a sigh of relief. Then three years pass, with something sinister brewing beneath the city streets. People start to go missing in the subways, strange new insects are emerging from the grimy darkness, and what appears to be a man in a long coat is always watching from the gloomy corners.

Del Toro's vision for the film was compromised by the interference of Harvey Weinstein, who foolishly contradicted his judgment (this being the same guy who greenlit Grindhouse!). The resulting movie was disowned by Del Toro, which is a shame since you can really see the potential behind it. The planned ending for hundreds of Mimics standing around in Time Square station would have been amazing, and a natural follow-on to the plot that precedes it.

Instead the ending is rather lame, and the threat of the Mimics migrating through the tunnels and possibly taking over the world is ignored as soon as it's mentioned. A huge missed opportunity there. What a bleak, apocalyptic ending that would have been.

The so-called Director's Cut (the best parts of the script were never actually filmed) restores some minor plot points and gives us alternate dialogue. The biggest addition is the fact that Miro Sorvino's character is pregnant, but it adds NOTHING to the story, and feels rudely tacked-on.

A great example of a movie that good have been if only the producers had a clue what they were doing. For what it is...there are some decent moments to be had.

Scary at times, but suffers from a bad script.

[greg-253 · 5/10 · 9 January 2008]

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I'd seen this when it came out in 1997 and had mixed feelings - not knowing the director that Del Toro would evolve into. Having seen his newer films, I decided to revisit this. I still feel the same. The main issue is the script. Character believability and the ease with which certain problems are resolved - is central to the problem. Whether it's effectively powering up an ancient subway system with a pair of eyeglass frames or surviving the vortex of a monster gas explosion that manages to kill almost everything else...plausibility suffers badly in the third act. That being said...there is much to be scared of here. There are many great moments and tensely directed scenes - unfortunately, they are often broken up by ham-fisted writing and the aforementioned convenient solutions. I loved the creature FX, production design - and the cinematography was solid. I wonder how much control Del Toro had on this film and if studio interference might have played a role in the neatly resolved finale. To Del Toro's credit, he has gone on to make much better films. In truth, there is a much better film within Mimic.