Hannibal Lecter is one of the most iconic and
scary characters in cinema history. His charming way of conversing hides his psychotic,
manipulative and violent nature. His character has a series dedicated to him,
but there are five movies about Hannibal Lecter. And I decided to rank these
films.
5. Hannibal Rising (2007)
Young Hannibal Lecter grows up in a privileged environment. In the family castle in Lithuania, he studies medicine. Then WWII breaks out, his parents and sister are murdered, and, heavily traumatized, he forges his first vengeful murder plans. “Hannibal Rising” wants to show us how he became the man remembers for his charm and eloquence, cultural savvy unmatched psychology, explosiveness and his danger. Let’s put it this way, Hannibal deserved a much better prequel.
4. Hannibal (2001)
In this sequel, we meet Hannibal Lecter in Florence where he feeds on art, culture and passerby. FBI agent Clarice Starling (this time played by Julianne Moore) is trying to catch him. This movie never met up with its expectations and wasn’t even close to its original. Julianne Moore replaced Jodie Foster as Starling, because Foster didn’t want to disavow the original character. And she was right, Foster was way better in her role and Moore’s version of Starling is just another detective.
3. Red Dragon (2002)
Aonce again Sir Anthony Hopkins takes on the role of one of the world’s most notorious and beloved movie killers. It chronologically comes before “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Hannibal”. In other words, we see the psychiatrist in the days when he was still on the loose but did acquire the nickname Hannibal the Cannibal. His help is enlisted in an FBI investigation into a serial killer called the “Tooth Fairy”. Stylishly shot, creepy and less hysterical than “Hannibal”.
2. Manhunter (1986)
“Manhunter” tells the same story as “Red Dragon, but was release in the late eighties. It was actually the first movie made about Hannibal Lecter. Where FBI agent Will Graham was portrayed by Edward Norton in “Red Dragon” in this early film William Petersen took on the role. And Brian Cox plays the psychotic Dr. Lecter. I believe many people have never seen this film and it’s highly overlooked and underrated in my opinion.
1. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling is tasked with unblocking a stalled investigation into a serial killer. To do so, she must interrogate another serial killer in prison, Hannibal Lecter. This movie made him the iconic villain he is and is the best one in the franchise.
Young Hannibal Lecter grows up in a privileged environment. In the family castle in Lithuania, he studies medicine. Then WWII breaks out, his parents and sister are murdered, and, heavily traumatized, he forges his first vengeful murder plans. “Hannibal Rising” wants to show us how he became the man remembers for his charm and eloquence, cultural savvy unmatched psychology, explosiveness and his danger. Let’s put it this way, Hannibal deserved a much better prequel.
In this sequel, we meet Hannibal Lecter in Florence where he feeds on art, culture and passerby. FBI agent Clarice Starling (this time played by Julianne Moore) is trying to catch him. This movie never met up with its expectations and wasn’t even close to its original. Julianne Moore replaced Jodie Foster as Starling, because Foster didn’t want to disavow the original character. And she was right, Foster was way better in her role and Moore’s version of Starling is just another detective.
Aonce again Sir Anthony Hopkins takes on the role of one of the world’s most notorious and beloved movie killers. It chronologically comes before “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Hannibal”. In other words, we see the psychiatrist in the days when he was still on the loose but did acquire the nickname Hannibal the Cannibal. His help is enlisted in an FBI investigation into a serial killer called the “Tooth Fairy”. Stylishly shot, creepy and less hysterical than “Hannibal”.
“Manhunter” tells the same story as “Red Dragon, but was release in the late eighties. It was actually the first movie made about Hannibal Lecter. Where FBI agent Will Graham was portrayed by Edward Norton in “Red Dragon” in this early film William Petersen took on the role. And Brian Cox plays the psychotic Dr. Lecter. I believe many people have never seen this film and it’s highly overlooked and underrated in my opinion.
Rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling is tasked with unblocking a stalled investigation into a serial killer. To do so, she must interrogate another serial killer in prison, Hannibal Lecter. This movie made him the iconic villain he is and is the best one in the franchise.
