The Silence of the Lambs

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The Silence of the Lambs

R

Released Feb 13, 1991

1h 59m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

153 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

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Critics Consensus

Director Jonathan Demme's smart, taut thriller teeters on the edge between psychological study and all-out horror, and benefits greatly from stellar performances by Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

The crux of this excellent thriller is the battle of intellect and wills between them [Clarice Starling and Dr Hannibal Lecter].

Aug 2, 2023

Full Review

Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

A failure that is a function of its success.

Dec 7, 2022

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Kathy Huffhines

Detroit Free Press

Throughout the movie, Demme gets across more terror than a dozen Friday the 13ths by showing not the horrifying thing itself but the faces of people looking at horror.

Rated: 8/10

Mar 23, 2022

Full Review

Nadir Samara

Screen Rant

Its impact on movies is still being felt today, and it includes arguably the best performances of both Foster and Hopkins' careers.

Rated: 9/10

Nov 10, 2024

Full Review

Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

Suspenseful and shrewd, Hopkins’ Lecter is one of the most fascinating villains in film (despite less than 20 min of screen time). In spite of his contemptible reproach and steely demeanor, there’s just something about Lecter that makes us root for him.

Jun 8, 2023

Full Review

Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

Most books, plays or films never give us even this much. Yet The Silence of the Lambs gives us so much that it's a shame the film doesn't find ways to deepen its concentration on the colossal aberrance of the minds of its complementary terrors.

May 9, 2023

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Maxwell C

This movie is what cinema is all about. Definetly one of the best films I have seen. The acting is a masterclass. Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster are exquisite. I was immersed the entire time and I have a feeling that I will be thinking about this film for a while…

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/04/25

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David A

Superb thriller, direction and acting are brilliant.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/29/24

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Audience Member

A well done and well rounded movie. It is well acted, well filmed, and has extremely compelling dialogue. Anthony Hopkins delivers one of the most engaging acting performances of all time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/24/24

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William E

There are not many films as deeply chilling as this. A must watch for any film lover.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/21/24

Full Review

Spike D

Put simply, it's one of the greatest films of all time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/19/24

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Tasha L

So incredibly good. Great acting, incredible atmosphere, amazing plot, nothing negative to say.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/09/24

Full Review

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Jonathan Demme

Director

Jodie Foster

Clarice Starling

Anthony Hopkins

Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Scott Glenn

Jack Crawford

Ted Levine

Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb

Anthony Heald

Dr. Frederick Chilton

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Synopsis

Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

Director: Jonathan Demme
Producer: Ronald M. Bozman, Edward Saxon, Kenneth Utt
Screenwriter: Thomas Harris, Ted Tally
Distributor: Orion Pictures
Production Co: Orion Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 13, 1991, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 27, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $130.7M
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby SR, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.66:1)

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