Everyone might be familiar with the movie The Silence Of The Lambs released in 1991. It won various categorical awards at the Oscars, Golden Globe, and British Academy. The film was a sleeper hit with an average rating of 8.9/10 by most movie critics. It was adapted from the 1988 novel of the same name by Thomas Harris. This movie gave us Hollywood’s creepiest psychopath we’ve ever seen, Hannibal Lecter.
Apart from the brilliance of this movie, the flesh-eating Hannibal’s vile smile and allegorical expressions are the startle factors that creep the audience for a long time. If you are a fan of Anthony Hopkins and Dr Hannibal Lecter here are some movies you mustn’t miss watching.
All the movies are adapted from Thomas Harris’ novels.
Hannibal (2001)
Highly anticipated after the success of SOTL, this movie broke box office records in many countries. Apart from being criticized for the exceptional violence and disturbing scenes, this movie was praised for its performances and visuals. The story follows the attempt of FBI agent Clarice Starling to apprehend Dr Lecter after he breaks loose in the previous story. Mason Verger, the only survivor of our cannibal, is also after him. Watch out for a live human brain cooking class too!
Red Dragon (2002) / Man Hunter (1986)
Red Dragon follows the same plot as the 1986 movie Manhunter starring Brian Cox as Hannibal Lecktor (spelling was different in the first movie). Manhunter is now considered a cult classic as it’s the first in the series of Hannibal movies.
Will Graham, an FBI profiler who had worked with Lecter, seeks his help in finding a new killer called Tooth Fairy who had killed two families. Hannibal the cannibal was first revealed when caught by Graham himself a few years ago (the story is set before SOTL). Things become tense when he finds the tooth fairy to be an admirer of Lecter. Will Lecter help Graham? Watch to find out.
Hannibal Rising (2007)
Chronologically, this is the first movie to be watched. The story focuses deep into the life of Hannibal from his childhood to how he turned out to be a cannibal.
Lecter loses his family in the aftermath of World War II. He then escapes his home (Lecter Castle) turned orphanage and flees to his widowed aunt in Paris. Lecter proves to be extraordinarily studious and becomes the youngest student to get into medical school in France. But the past still haunts him and some unfavorable situations trigger the killer in Hannibal. What follows is a twist of savagery and vengeance.
Hannibal is the OG psycho killer of all the serial killers in movies. If noticed carefully, certain scenes adapted into various other psycho-thriller movies are identifiable. These movies are a pretty decent watch if you aren’t tenderhearted.
Critical Response
The film was subjected to criticism regarding its take on human sexuality and gender politics. It is said to have increased stigma related to the LGBTQ community. It’s not simply good to evict that factor out.
Other adaptations
Hannibal (TV series 2013-2015) stars Mads Mikkelson as Dr Hannibal Lecter. This series comprises three seasons. The series follows the story of Will Graham’s acquaintance with Hannibal until he catches him. It’s available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Clarice (TV series 2021) starring Rebecca Breeds as Clarice dives deep into the personal story of FBI agent Clarice Starling. The story set in 1993 shows the events that follow one year after the happenings in the movie SOTL. It’s not currently available to watch in India.
