An iconic thriller deemed ‘the best ever made’ is streaming now on Netflix in the United Kingdom.
Directed by Jonathan Demme in 1991, The Silence of the Lambs propelled iconic film villain Hannibal Lecter into the mainstream, redefining the serial killer thriller as we know it.
In it, Sir Anthony Hopkins played monstrous maneater and former psychiatrist Hannibal, who’s tapped by rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) to bring down another serial killer.
The Silence of the Lambs was released to great fanfare and critical acclaim, making cinematic history by winning Academy Awards for best picture, best director, best actor, best actress, and best adapted screenplay at the 64th ceremony in 1992.
Not bad, for a film that also falls under the horror umbrella… a genre typically not given much recognition when it comes to award season.
With the film now streaming on Netflix, viewers are able to sink their teeth into a bona fide masterpiece.
Befitting its fearsome status, The Silence of the Lambs boasts a 95% ‘fresh’ score from review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with Film Hounds calling it ‘one of the best films of the 20th Century.’
Meanwhile, the Independent on Sunday iterated that it’s ‘even better than you’ve heard,’ backing up its reputation as a modern classic.
Critics are united in their praise of Foster and Hopkins’ performances, with Australia’s Herald Sun crediting the actors for elevating the thriller to ‘classic status’ with their ‘eerie chemistry.’
These are opinions backed up by audiences at home, with Rotten Tomatoes user Patrick S praising it as ‘one of the best serial killer movies ever made.’
Describing it as ‘absolutely one of the greatest films ever,’ Danny S called its story ‘gripping, suspenseful and tense every which way.’
Adding to the superlatives, Red T branded it ‘An All Time Classic of the Highest Order,’ while malani w crowned Hopkins’ Doctor Lecter ‘the best bad guy ever.’
How and where to watch the TV and movies of Hannibal Lecter in order
- Manhunter (1986) – Available to rent from Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Sky Store.
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991) – Streaming now on Netflix UK.
- Hannibal (2001) – Streaming on NOW, or available to rent from Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Sky Store.
- Red Dragon (2002) – Streaming on NOW, or available to rent from Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Sky Store.
- Hannibal Rising (2007) – Streaming with an Amazon Prime Video subscription, and available to rent on Apple TV and Sky Store.
- Hannibal (Series 1-3) – Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Sky Store.
- Clarice (Series 1) – Available to rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Sky Store.
Based on the 1988 novel by Thomas Harris, The Silence of the Lambs wasn’t Hannibal’s first rodeo… previously appearing in the 1986 thriller Manhunter, where he was played by Succession star Brian Cox.
Hopkins reprised the role for the 2001 sequel Hannibal – directed by Ridley Scott – and then again in 2002, with the (re)adaptation of Red Dragon.
Although Hopkins hasn’t played the character since then, his version of Hannibal was also subject to a prequel in 2007’s Hannibal Rising.
After that, the franchise was rebooted, with Harris’s novels serving as inspiration for three helpings of the TV series Hannibal, which starred Mads Mikkelsen as Hannibal Lecter, and Hugh Dancy as criminal profiler Will Graham.
As for Agent Starling, she received her own spin-off in the short-lived 2021 series Clarice, which starred Rebecca Breeds in the title role.
Hopkins may have declined to appear in prequel Hannibal Rising, but he’s since described the role as ‘the best part I’ve ever read.’
‘My agent sent a script,’ the actor recalled in a 2021 interview for Variety.
‘He said, “Why don’t you read this? It’s called Silence of the Lambs.” I said, “Is it a children’s story?”
‘It was a hot summer afternoon, and the script came over, and I started reading it. After 10 pages, I phoned my agent.
‘I said, “Is this a real offer? I want to know. This is the best part I’ve ever read.”’
The Silence of the Lambs is streaming now on Netflix.
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