The story of the 1997 horror movie Mimic isn’t just a story about a very specific kind of creepy film. It’s the story of Guillermo del Toro fighting against horrible opposition, and basically, losing. Nearly three decades ago, del Toro clashed with notorious producers BobWeinstein and (convicted sex offender) Harvey Weinstein over the tone and style of the movie, with Bob Weinstein even attempting to fire and replace the filmmaker. Del Toro did complete the movie and later created as close to a director’s cut as possible, with both now available in a new 4K UHD edition. But even if Mimic remains a difficult memory for del Toro, the movie is an early indicator of the obsessions and themes that would haunt the rest of his output.
The film stars Mira Sorvino as Susan Tyler, an entomologist who creates a new insect – a hybrid of termite and mantis – to exterminate the cockroaches that have been spreading a plague throughout Manhattan that is especially fatal to children. The plan is successful, but although Susan’s “Judas breed” is programmed to self-destruct, it mutates instead – into human-sized monsters that are colonizing the subways and can mimic the shape of their human prey.
