Director Thomas F. Mazziotti attempts to show the lighter side of a sociopath in The Mimic from Gravitas Ventures. Thomas Sadoski portrays the white hat of The Mimic and is credited as The Narrator of the film. A recent widower, whose streak of bad luck continues when his dog dies at the beginning of the film, the Narrator appears to be doomed for a life of bad luck. Before long, he is befriended by his young new neighbor 'the Kid' (Jake Robinson) after joining the local newspaper team.
Obsessed with the idea that the Kid may be a sociopath, the Narrator goes to extreme lengths to uncover the truth about him and his wife, a woman he ultimately begins to fancy. Between long walks down the street together, a twisted dinner date, and a car ride that goes terribly wrong, the Narrator gets closer and closer to the truth about the Kid. However, the truth, as he finds, is anything but what he had expected.
Upon reading The Mimic’s synopsis, I assumed that the film would go one of two ways. The first would find "the kid" serving as the Narrator's inner child, thus allowing the Narrator to find peace after his wife's death and experience the joys of life. The second route I thought it may take is a more sinister one, where "the kid" is the Narrator's evil side who begins to commit random acts of violence. Ironically neither one of these predictions was right, and I'm still trying to piece together what I actually watched with The Mimic.
I will give credit to the chemistry between our two lead actors Thomas Sadoski and Jake Robinson. The two are having a grand time playing off each in their dialogue-heavy scenes. It was also great to see Austin Pendleton and Gina Gershon pop up in brief cameo roles. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else I was fond of in the film. Die-hard film fanatics are sure to notice the film may be attempting to evoke the vibe of 2014's much superior Creep. There's also a moment in the movie that happens about 2/3's in where I thought, “Ok, now I get where they are going", but the ideas are never actually realized and only adds to the film's confusing tone.
The Mimic is advertised as a comedy, but I didn't even chuckle one time, and it's also marketed as a true story. Perhaps director Thomas F. Mazziotti overcame some personal struggles, and The Mimic served as therapy for him. I'm all for a film embracing its weirdness, but The Mimic just wasn't for me. Nevertheless, check the movie out for yourself and see if it's your cup of tea.
Final Grade: D-
The Mimic will be available on VOD/Digital Friday, February 5, 2021
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