The granddaddy of all serial killer flicks

Rating: 10/10 (11 May 2014)

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS is, quite simply, a breathtaking movie. It's the granddaddy of all serial killer flicks, a film that even the almost-as-good SE7EN can only aspire to, a movie that gets into the mind and soul of a serial killer like few others. It inspired a huge sub-genre of similar movies that came out during the 1990s and 2000s, and it's up there with Hitchcock's PSYCHO as one of the most gripping looks at the subject matter of all time.
Where to begin? There's a pitch-perfect Jodie Foster, gradually leading us into the depths of the storyline as the naive FBI agent, and the oft-overlooked Ted Levine who excels as the supremely skin-crawling Buffalo Bill. Of course, the film is dominated by Anthony Hopkins, giving the best and most memorable performance of his career in just 16 minutes of screen time. Hopkins chills you to the bone in this, and Jonathan Demme's direction is a perfect match for his talents.
The storyline is engaging, ably mixing the criminal investigation strands with scenes involving the killers themselves. There are gory and monstrous set-pieces which make your flesh crawl while watching, yet it's all rather restrained and intellectual, a surprise given the subject matter. Most importantly, it's never less than gripping and completely frightening. A true masterpiece of a movie.