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Manhunter

Play trailer Poster for Manhunter R Released Aug 22, 1986 1h 59m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 49 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
FBI criminal profiler Will Graham (William L. Petersen) is called out of early retirement to assist on a serial murder case involving a killer known as the "Tooth Fairy" (Tom Noonan). Graham enlists the help of imprisoned serial killer -- and cannibal -- Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox), who is the reason Graham took an early retirement. Soon, Graham and the FBI are entangled in a deadly cat-and-mouse game between the Tooth Fairy, Lecktor and an interfering journalist (Stephen Lang).
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Manhunter

Manhunter

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Critics Consensus

Michael Mann introduces audiences to Hannibal Lecter for the first time in Manhunter, a modish thriller that fleshes out Thomas Harris' heinous creations with an elegant, chilling detachment.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide Times (UK) This slick thriller has been overshadowed by The Silence of the Lambs, but it is a compelling piece of film-making. Sep 8, 2023 Full Review Paul Attanasio Washington Post ... "Manhunter" is a gory and gorgeous cop thriller... Jan 4, 2018 Full Review David Edelstein Slate Manhunter ushered in the age of empathy for the devil. Feb 7, 2007 Full Review Farah Cheded A Good Movie To Watch Michael Mann’s gripping, boldly stylized take on Hannibal Lecter is a crime thriller like no other. Rated: 8.4/10 Sep 8, 2023 Full Review Alan French Sunshine State Cineplex The stunning vision of a man rotting from the inside is one of Mann’s finest works, and remains one of his definitive character studies. Rated: 10/10 Aug 18, 2023 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …Mann manages to develop the notion of seeing in a persuasive way, helped by an unearthly performance from Tom Noonan… Rated: 4/5 Jan 18, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Cleve H I have avoided this movie for decades. My thought was how could anything compete with The Silence of the Lambs but I am glad I finally watched it. True is early 80's fashion the acting is a little over the top but it is clear why Mindhunter became a textbook example of how to write a crime show. The procedural aspects of it were fantastic. William Peterson, who I love from CSI does an apt job with his role. Brian Cox also does a decent job as the first incarnation of Hannibal Lecter or Lecktor for this movie. I did not care for the ending of the movie which I thought Red Dragon did better but this is a good movie overall. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/29/25 Full Review M B One of the best adaptions and crime movies ever made. Endless style with incredible casting and acting. Michael Manns masterpiece! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/15/25 Full Review Christian K A great detective movie that really hums for the most part. A nice prequel to Silence of the Lambs, which took advantage of the basic structure and expanded on it perfectly - mainly by having more Lecktor and less romance plot for the serial killer. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/19/25 Full Review Timtoons 2 This film is genuinely awful. It’s honestly amusing whenever I hear people say this film was a better adaptation of the novel (Red Dragon) compared to the 2002 movie. Manhunter (I’ll call it Poophunter from now on cuz this film is awful.) attempts to adapt the Thomas Harris novel ‘Red Dragon’. However, due to the fact that Micheal Mann doesn’t know how to make horror, this film becomes a sloppy mess. The only things Poophunter gets right is Francis Dolarhyde’s physical appearance from the novel, and the way Will Graham acts in the movie is somewhat faithful to the novel. However, those are not enough to save the film. The rest of the film is barely faithful to the novel, making it another generic thriller movie. Overall Poophunter has to be one of the WORST movies I’ve ever watched, that aren’t trying to be so bad it’s good. Poophunter is the worst movie ever. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/12/25 Full Review thiago s Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, o filme meio que tem algumas de ação, mas não são interessantes e o filme poderia ser bem melhor. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/25 Full Review Audience Member Other than a bit of overacting and some cringe 80s synthetic music, this is a decent cop drama. And the In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida cut in the end makes up for all the shortcomings. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Manhunter

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Movie Info

Synopsis FBI criminal profiler Will Graham (William L. Petersen) is called out of early retirement to assist on a serial murder case involving a killer known as the "Tooth Fairy" (Tom Noonan). Graham enlists the help of imprisoned serial killer -- and cannibal -- Dr. Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox), who is the reason Graham took an early retirement. Soon, Graham and the FBI are entangled in a deadly cat-and-mouse game between the Tooth Fairy, Lecktor and an interfering journalist (Stephen Lang).
Director
Michael Mann
Producer
Dino De Laurentiis
Screenwriter
Michael Mann
Distributor
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co
Columbia, Sony Pictures Classics
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 22, 1986, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$7.0M
Runtime
1h 59m
Sound Mix
Surround
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