ReelBob: ‘The Mimic’ ★★★

By Bob Bloom

“The Mimic” is a head scratcher. Its basic premise is simply about The Narrator (Thomas Sadoski) and his relationship with The Kid (Jake Robinson).

Yes, this is one of those kinds of movies in which people don’t have names, simply titles.

The Narrator, a screenwriter, gets it in his that The Kid is a sociopath. Why? Because, as the movie repeatedly tells us, one in 25 people is a sociopath — and The Narrator believes something is definitely off with The Kid.

As “The Mimic” progresses, whether The Kid is a sociopath or not matters less and less.

The fun with this jumbled and erratic comedy is the weird relationship and back-and-forth banter between the two protagonists.

The Narrator is a widower who, as the film progresses, becomes more and more obsessed with The Kid’s wife, who we never really see.

The film plays out like a free-wheeling session with a psychiatrist, a writer trying to cobble together a script or a grieving individual trying to come to terms with the hand life has dealt him.

You get the sense that The Kid is a reflection of The Narrator. The Kid, who always wears red pants, is very neat, has no opinions and is vacuous, all of which The Narrator resents and criticizes.

The Narrator, who dresses in black, is messy and opinionated.

The movie, written and directed by Thomas F. Mazziotti, is simultaneously compelling and maddening. It also is open to a lot of viewer interpretation, which is one of the film’s stimulating aspects.

It also features a supporting cast — all of whom basically have short cameos — of familiar faces, including Austin Pendleton, Jessica Walter, Marilu Henner, Didi Conn, Gina Gershon and M. Emmet Walsh.

Sometimes, Mazziotti is too clever for his own good, leading us to shake our heads and momentarily take us out of the picture.

“The Mimic” is strange and, at times, absurd. It’s kind of a black comedy, but it is not bleak.

It plays like Mazziotti is arguing with himself, as if The Narrator and The Kid are his emotional surrogates while his mind comes to grips with whatever he wants to unload.

The byplay between Sadoski and Robinson is the foundation that propels the movie. They have a strong rhythm and a keen sense of timing.

“The Mimic” is an unusual movie that is off the beaten path and worth checking out.

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.

THE MIMIC
3 stars out of 4
Not rated