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Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Anthony Heald, Brooke Smith ... see more see more... , Ted Levine , Diane Baker , Kasi Lemmons , Charles Napier , George A. Romero , Chuck Aber , Lamont Arnold , Obba Babatundé , Andre B. Blake , Lawrence A. Bonney , Gene Borkan , Don Brockett , Josh Broder , Dan Butler , Alex Coleman , Bill Dalzell III , Jim Dratfield , David Earle , Cynthia Ettinger , Frankie Faison , Brent Hinkley , James B. Howard , Buzz Kilman , Tommy Lafitte , Jeffrie Lane , Paul Lazar , Leib Lensky , Harry Northrup , Jim Roche , Lauren Roselli , Stuart Rudin , Rebecca Saxon , George "Red" Schwartz , Frank Seals Jr. , Masha Skorobogatov , Ron Vawter , Daniel von Bargen , Tracey Walter , Lawrence T. Wrentz , Steve Wyatt , Danny Darst , Chris Isaak , Adelle Lutz , Stanton-Miranda , Kenneth Utt , Pat McNamara , Howard Feuer , Chad Dowdell , George Michael (II) , John Hall , Bill Miller , George Michael (I)

In this multiple Oscar-winning thriller, Jodie Foster stars as Clarice Starling, a top student at the FBI's training academy whose shrewd analyses of serial killers lands her a special assignment: the... read more read more... FBI is investigating a vicious murderer nicknamed Buffalo Bill, who kills young women and then removes the skin from their bodies. 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 this case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out. Lecter does indeed know something of Buffalo Bill, but his information comes with a price: in exchange for telling what he knows, he wants to be housed in a more comfortable facility. More important, he wants to speak with Clarice about her past. He skillfully digs into her psyche, forcing her to reveal her innermost traumas and putting her in a position of vulnerability when she can least afford to be weak. The film mingles the horrors of criminal acts with the psychological horrors of Lecter's slow-motion interrogation of Clarice and of her memories that emerge from it. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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93% liked it

745,150 ratings

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95% liked it

61 critics

R, 1 hr. 58 min.

Directed by: Jonathan Demme

Release Date: February 13, 1991

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DVD Release Date: July 1, 1998

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Stats: 42,615 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (42,615)

  • aquateen2
    November 24, 2012
    aquateen2
    [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img]

    The Silence Of The Lambs is a film that builds nail biting tension from each and every insignificant plot point and effortlessly managed to sustain my interest for the full 118 minutes it lasted. There's... read more only a small number of horror thrillers that can pull that off. But this is endlessly frightening. From the anti-hero (fantastically portrayed by Anthony Hopkins) to the tracking down of the unnamed serial killer which at it's climax is the most terrifying scene in the film. Many unpredictable twists and turns occur to great effect to the point where your not sure what your scared of. Also the make up effects and corpse set pieces i'll add are sorely barf inducing and are all these great elements are held together nicely by a great performance from Jodie Foster as a consistently likable and interesting heroine and masterfully mesmeric direction by Jonathon Demme at the top of his game. It's part psychological character study and part horror thriller. Both of them have always been closely related in cinema history but sitting there watching this, personally it isolated me as much as the psychologically traumitised and emotionally fragile heroine played by Foster. It's not as deep in it's subject matter as it thinks it is, but I thought it was a brilliantly executed thriller that ties itself up nicely and ended on a monumentally worrying and epically eery note. Highly recommended as a member of the minimally slight group of movies raved at the Oscars damn deserving of it's reputation.
  • cosmo313
    September 9, 2012
    cosmo313
    So far, only two other films besides this one have the distinction of winning all five of the major categories at the Oscars (picture, director, actor, actress, and screenplay). This also has a reputation for being one of the all time best thrillers in general.

    And all that cl... read moreaim and praise is quite justified, Based on the best selling novel by Thomas Harris, this is the story of Clarice Starling, a young and talented FBI trainee who, despite her lack of experience, is deemed talented enough to help the bureau out with an investigation concerning a killer nicknamed Buffalo Bill who has a penchant for kidnapping and killing women, then skinning their bodies. Starling is tasked with interviewing the brilliant psychologist Dr. Hannibal Lecter who also happens to be a psychopath serving a life sentence due to various acts of murder and cannibalism. It is believed that he could give valuable insight into the FBI's investigation, and would be willing to cooperate with Starling given that she's an attractive yet tough female that he could find intriguing and trustworthy.

    Lecter is indeed enthralled with Starling, and is willing to help, but his services come with a price In exchange for case related help and information, Starling has to provide Lecter with her own life, and let him get in her head and poke around, something that just might be more dangerous than going after Buffalo Bill.

    While there are some grisly visceral thrills here, this is primarily an intense and complex character study of multiple people that are all quite fascinating. This is quite deep, intelligent, and engrossing stuff, and despite having less than twenty minutes of screen time, Anthony Hopkins cemented himself into cinematic and pop culture with his supremely chilling and memorable turn as Lecter. In fact, it was because of this movie that the Academy now makes it mandatory that a performer has to have more than twenty minutes of screen time to be considered a lead role.

    He absolutely knocks it out of the park, and, despite how little screen time he has, he makes his presence felt throughout the whole film, which is a truly impressive feat. Foster gives one of her absolute best performances, and she truly shines as the multifaceted Starling. She easily sells the various layers of the character, and holds her own against not one, but two of the creepiest screen antagonists ever. Ted Levine, playing Buffalo Bill, is a real force to be reckoned with. He's a guy that you don't want to lower you guard around, and the climax of the film is one of the most gripping, suspenseful, and absolutely scary sequences ever. The film is a horror film in a sense, but is mainly a psychological suspense thriller.

    That ending though, is truly one of the few sequences that I feel could be deemed horrific, and it certainly something not easily forgotten.

    This movie has been the subject of countless parodies imitations, and ripoffs, and that's a shame since it seems that these things tend to cheapen the original product. It is also to the credit of screenwriter Ted Tally and director Jonathan Demme that they were able to take material that could easily be construed as high grade lurid pulp and turn it into a high brow intelligent masterpiece that appeals to both thinkers and fans of the gruesome alike.
  • samoriley
    August 8, 2012
    samoriley
    Its understandable why this is such a shocking yet superb masterpiece. With iconic performances and highly recognised lines and scenarios.Jodie Foster plays as the determined Clarice Starling. At the same time, the sophisticated Anthony Hopkins is Hannibal "the Cannibal" Lector. ... read moreFinally, Ted Levine portrays the gut wrenching 'Buffalo Bill'. While it misses out the side stories, this is a very strong adaptation of Thomas Harris' novel. This is possibly the best serial killer movie in film history.
  • spielberg00
    July 27, 2012
    spielberg00
    It's a bit of a surprise that the film is a heavy study of not one, but two complex characters. The film is such a deep analysis, it makes classic thrillers such as Alfred Hitchcock's PSYCHO and John Carpenter's HALLOWEEN seem shallow; I dare say that "Buffalo Bill" and Hannibal... read more Lecter are two of the most important antagonists in the history of all thrillers, and as such a prudent examination, the film itself is underappreciated. It's quite possible that Hopkins's career began to slowly take a downhill route by the 21st century, with roles in fiascos such as HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS, BEOWULF, and THE RITE, but he delivered nothing but a mighty fine effort back in 1991. We hardly notice that his appearance adds up to less than twenty minutes because he surrounds the entire film as such an important character, and the uneasy results of his appearance leaves distasteful aftereffects long after we've moved on from him.

    But I must wonder: are the lambs still screaming?

    read the uncut review at themoviefreakblog.com
  • fb100000293612769
    July 26, 2012
    fb100000293612769
    The acting is superb and the drab yet eerie atmosphere in which the film takes place makes it an intoxicating and thrilling piece to view.
  • fb100000040220993
    June 1, 2012
    fb100000040220993
    This is a perfect movie. The suspense and the dialogue are priceless. Jodie Foster proved why she was one of the best actors in the world, but Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Dr. Hannibal Lecter stole the show. To this day whenever I see that guy, I think of him as Lecter. My f... read moreavorite scene is when he escapes from prison wearing that guard's face. Great movie, if you haven't seen it, watch it.
  • ironclad1609
    March 4, 2012
    ironclad1609
    This rare case of the Academy awards recognizing a psycho thriller for most of their Oscars has become an iconic piece of film-making in the 20 years since it came out. Hopkins' performance as Hannibal the Cannibal is still terrifying. Back then there wasn't enough praise of Ted ... read moreLevine's Buffallo Bill, though. Jodie Foster created an iconic character with her Agent Starling caught between those two psychos. The calm menacing story-telling makes for a lot of the atmosphere of the film, but the script is also excellent. The conversations between the protagonist, Lector's escape, the night-vision showdown, all scenes deeply manifested into pop-culture by now. A masterpiece of the genre.
  • EightThirty
    November 23, 2011
    EightThirty
    24/11/2011 (ONLINE)
  • ajv2688
    November 21, 2011
    ajv2688
    The best horror film of all time, the most deserving of every Oscar award out there..? I wouldn't describe it that way, no. Sure it's a good mystery, but it leaves a lot out. It also isn't very disturbing or scary to a horror film fanatic. Even for 1991, this isn't as scary a... read mores it could be. Overall, it's only a good mystery film, but it did leave me thinking about what the significance of the lambs is supposed to be.
  • blacksheepboy
    November 14, 2011
    blacksheepboy
    This is a terrific modern classic that boasts one of the most iconic and fascinating monsters ever created, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, in a breathtaking psychological thriller that is magnificently written, directed and acted. A challenging character study with splendid performances by... read more Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster and Ted Levine.

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Critic Reviews

Sheila Benson
February 22, 2013
Sheila Benson, Los Angeles Times

Hopkins' performance may be the film's bravura showpiece, but Foster's goes the whole distance, steadfast, controlled, heartbreakingly insightful, a fine addition to her gallery of characterizations. Full Review

Gene Siskel
January 16, 2013
Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune

Foster's character, who is appealing, is dwarfed by the monsters she is after. I'd rather see her work on another case. Full Review

David Ansen
October 18, 2008
David Ansen, Newsweek

This is the grandest guignol Hollywood has produced in years. Full Review

Richard Corliss
October 7, 2008
Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine

A pretty sharp new thriller. Full Review

Todd McCarthy
September 24, 2007
Todd McCarthy, Variety

The juiciest part is Hopkins,' and he makes the most of it. Helped by some highly dramatic lighting, actor makes the role the personification of brilliant, hypnotic evil, and the screen jolts with ele... Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
February 5, 2007
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

An accomplished, effective, grisly, and exceptionally sick slasher film that I can't with any conscience recommend, because the purposes to which it places its considerable ingenuity are ultimately ra... Full Review

Geoff Andrew
February 9, 2006
Geoff Andrew, Time Out

Understandably, much has been made of Hopkins' hypnotic Lecter, but the laurels must go to Levine's killer, admirably devoid of camp overstatement, and to Foster, who evokes a vulnerable but pragmatic... Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
March 7, 2005
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It's a bona fide classic of its kind. Full Review

Vincent Canby
May 20, 2003
Vincent Canby, New York Times

The Silence of the Lambs is pop film making of a high order. It could well be the first big hit of the year. Full Review

Peter Travers
May 12, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

For all the unbridled savagery on display, what is shrewd, significant and finally hopeful about Silence of the Lambs is the way it proves that a movie can be mercilessly scary and mercifully humane a...

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Facts

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    • Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb: It puts the lotion on it's skin, or else it gets the hose again.
    • Dr. Hannibal Lecter: A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti.
    • Dr. Hannibal Lecter: Plum Island Animal Disease Research Facility. Sounds charming.
    • Dr. Hannibal Lecter: I ate his liver with some fava beans.
    • Dr. Hannibal Lecter: Why do you think he removes their skins, Agent Starling? Enthrall me with your acumen.
    • Clarice Starling: It excites him. Most serial killers keep some sort of trophies from their victims.
    • Dr. Hannibal Lecter: I didn't.
    • Clarice Starling: No. No, you ate yours.
    • Jame "Buffalo Bill" Gumb: Just put the shampoo in the basket.
    • Catherine Martin: Please let me out.
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The Silence of the Lambs Trivia

  • Anthony Hopkins delivers this line at the end of what movie? "I do wish we could chat longer, but... I'm having an old friend for dinner. Bye."  Answer »
  • 'Red Dragon' and 'Man Hunter' are both prequels to the story told in which movie?  Answer »
  • Name the movie that features this quote: "What does he do, this man you seek?"  Answer »
  • fill in the blank space to create a movie title: Silence of ___ Lambs Baby ____ Four ______   Answer »
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