Mimic 4K 1997 Director's Cut Ultra HD 2160p

A talented researcher, together with her husband—an employee of the Department of Health—stopped a terrifying epidemic that had already claimed many lives. But by using genetic engineering, she disrupted the natural balance—and nature is beginning to strike back. Since time immemorial, creatures in the wild have learned to take on the appearance of their enemies: a caterpillar resembled a snake, a butterfly’s wings resembled an owl’s eyes… But now, the Thing is beginning to mimic the most dangerous hunter of all—man—and man himself is becoming the prey. Only the two people who brought the Thing to life can stop this evil entity…

User Review

To stop a terrifying epidemic in New York that is claiming the lives of children, Dr. Susan Tyler creates a population of mantis-termite hybrids that exterminate all the cockroaches—the virus carriers in the metropolis. But three years after the disease was defeated, people begin to disappear in the city, and strange creatures appear in the underground…

The director’s true talent lies in his ability to create high-quality films while working with completely different plots and styles. Such is the renowned Mexican Guillermo del Toro, a nominee for the Oscar and the Palme d’Or, a master of horror and fantasy. The whole world knows Guillermo for the witty and spectacular comic book duology “Hellboy,” as well as for the magnificent horror-fantasy “Pan's Labyrinth.” And the popularity of the master’s relatively new films causes people to undeservedly forget del Toro’s early works, one of which is the sci-fi thriller *Mimic*,
a solid “horror flick” about terrifying giant insects.

Like many films, ideally “Mimic” is best watched without knowing anything about the plot twists, but to be fair, it’s worth noting that the true pleasure of watching this film comes not from dramatic conflicts, but from the gloomy style and high tension unfolding on screen. In fact, the director shoots a film with a straightforward and even trashy plot, yet creates not only a terrifying but also an artistic spectacle, masterfully employing a variety of tools—visuals, sound, and a dark, menacing atmosphere.

On the one hand, del Toro follows the classic “detective” path in crafting this gripping thriller—from the mystery of the monsters’ origins, terrorizing the residents of New York, to the shocking discovery made by the main characters during their investigation. But at the same time, Guillermo manages to infuse the unfolding events with his signature magic, characteristic of his unique talent, when the horror film becomes something more than just a spectacular slasher. First and foremost, the director creates not just “terrifyingly entertaining” but also a human film—not so much through the development of the main adult characters, but rather thanks to the creation of compelling child characters and the meticulous work with the young actors. Alexander Goodwin deserves special mention for his role as Chui—a 10-year-old autistic boy capable of skillfully reproducing sounds he hears. For this performance, young Alexander was deservedly nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Young Actor, as his performance is simply unmatched in its sincerity.

The second key element of “Mimic” is the meticulous creation of the monsters' concept and their visual design. An artificially created insect designed to combat cockroaches — the spreaders of disease—was named Judas, which metaphorically implied the betrayal of its entomological kin. But in reality, the genetic monster betrayed not so much the insects as its creators, becoming not an ally, but a terrible enemy. The Judas generation was supposed to perish naturally after the cockroaches were destroyed, but it survived, learned to reproduce and mutated to such an extent that it not only began hunting humans but also learned to disguise itself as them. The monsters in the film turned out to be incredibly realistic and impressive-looking, even 15 years after the film’s premiere. Of course, the constant darkness made the special effects creators’ job easier in terms of animating the monsters, but when Judas appears on screen, whether fully or partially, you perceive him as a real creature and involuntarily feel goosebumps.

Despite all its undeniable merits, “Mimic” is still an imperfect film, which is evident in the slight lull of the first half, when the atmosphere and artistic authenticity are top-notch, but the narrative momentum falters. In the second half of the film, events rapidly pick up speed, but in the name of spectacle and drama, quite a few liberties are taken, particularly regarding the unbelievable survivability of certain characters. Therefore, based on the overall impression, del Toro’s film is a powerful, interesting, and professionally crafted horror movie, which nevertheless lacks the depth of thought and departure from clichés needed to become a true classic of the genre. But there is no doubt that “Mimic” is a film above average and worthy of the attention of all fans of “scary movies.”

Info Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265 (98.9 Mb/s)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Info Audio

#English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1

Info Subtitles