The holiday season is a time for enjoying good friends and good family. The 1991 crime thriller classic currently burning up Netflix’s charts indicates that some viewers may think those two things are one and the same. The Silence of the Lambs, the film that made the pairing of fava beans and Chianti a must for the discerning cannibal, is currently at #7 on Netflix’s streaming charts.
The critical and box office success of The Silence of the Lambs was somewhat unexpected. Thomas Harris‘ first novel featuring Hannibal Lecter, Red Dragon, was adapted for the screen by Michael Mann in 1986. Re-titled Manhunter, it starred William Peterson, Tom Noonan, and a then-unknown Brian Cox as Lecter, and was a critical and financial disappointment, although it has become a cult favorite in recent years. It was such a disappointment that when Orion Pictures acquired the rights to Harris’ follow-up novel, The Silence of the Lambs, Manhunter producer Dino De Laurentiis gave up the film rights to the Lecter character for free. However, Jonathan Demme‘s slick, stylish adaptation of the film was a massive success with audiences and critics upon its release on Valentine’s Day 1991; it earned $272 million USD on a $19 million budget, and became one of only three films in history to win all five of the “big five” Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
What Is ‘Silence of the Lambs’ About?
The FBI are on the hunt for “Buffalo Bill,” a serial killer who’s been killing and skinning women. FBI Behavioral Science Unit chief Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) sends trainee agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) to interview imprisoned psychiatrist-turned-cannibal Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) for his insights on the case. Through a series of interviews, Starling and Lecter develop a rapport, despite constant interference from Lecter’s jailer, Dr. Chilton (Anthony Heald). Eventually, he gives her enough to lead her to Jame Gumb (Ted Levine), the true culprit behind the murders…but not before Lecter engineers his own escape.
The success of The Silence of the Lambs kicked off a series of imitators featuring brilliant and calculating serial killers. It also spawned a franchise of its own: Hopkins returned for the 2001 sequel Hannibal and a 2002 prequel, Red Dragon, while the killer’s origins were explored in 2007’s Hannibal Rising, with the late Gaspard Ulliel in the title role. On the small screen, Bryan Fuller’s Hannibal brought the series new acclaim with Mads Mikkelsen taking on Hopkins’ mantle, while the short-lived CBS series Clarice starred Rebecca Breeds as a post-Silence Starling.
The Silence of the Lambs is now streaming on Netflix. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
- Release Date
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February 14, 1991
- Runtime
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119 minutes
- Director
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Jonathan Demme
