Not just a movie - an astonishing expierience

Rating: 10/10 (26 March 1999)

The only movie that can compare to the tension and suspense of this movie, I think, is Jaws. The same elecrifying thrill and fear you feel every time the shark approaches is mirrored by a terrifying monster in this film, one that also eats people - Dr Hannibal Lector. The popularity of this film was such that I knew the plot when I was ten in 1991, although I only saw it about a month ago. I will usually never watch films that are disgusting, and I didn't really want to watch this. But rather than being a disgusting horror, it turned out to be a psychological thriller of the highest order. The movie is amazing. It presents a gritty, realistic world like that of a documentary, with no typical Hollywood cliches whatsoever. That way we don't know what to expect. The actors are actors first and stars second, and the two central performances are simply superb. Hopkins is so effective in his role, you could easily believe Hannibal Lector really exists. In fact he is so good, he won the Best Actor Oscar for a supporting role.
Even better is Jodie Foster, who has surely proven herself now to be one of the best actresses ever. The most convincing performance I have ever seen. Director Demme skillfully uses angles to make her look small and isolated in a world of danger and fear. Better than Psycho. Better than Jaws. Undoubtedly one of the best films of all time.