474. The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Ted Levine

Director: Jonathan Demme

Running Time: 118 mins

The Silence Of The Lambs is an American film about a young FBI cadet who is brought into an investigation of a serial killer who skins his victims, to interrogate the genius psychopath, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, for valuable information for the bureau’s investigation.

This film is, quite honestly, messed up. It’s an extremely disturbing story that makes you shiver at every turn, but it’s so well-written, acted and directed that it’s also a hugely thrilling and psychologically impacting experience that keeps you on the edge of your seat for two hours straight.

I’ll start by saying that this film is not at all for the faint-hearted. Possibly one of the scariest films to watch of all time, not because of any jump-scares or anything, but the unbelievably strong psychological element of the story, that makes you hide behind your seat whenever Dr. Lecter comes on screen, or you see the horrific acts of the evil Buffalo Bill.

However, you’ve really got to admire how powerful this film is. Mostly, that’s down to the fantastic screenplay, which takes you through a fascinating, fast-paced and exciting investigation that pulls you through an emotional rollercoaster, with thrills, unexpected sympathy, and most importantly, fear, all coming into the equation.

Also, you’ve got some incredible acting in this film. Anthony Hopkins plays Hannibal Lecter, the frightening, but psychotic, psychiatrist, with such genius that he actually makes you shy away from the screen every time he appears in the story.

Then, on the other side, you’ve got the excellent performance by Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, the young FBI agent. You can see that she’s both an intelligent and competent woman, but her powerful performance makes Clarice a lot easier to relate to and support, and that connection makes any of her moments of peril so much more terrifying to watch, adding even more to the whole story.

There’s some excellent directing and cinematography in this film too. The whole thing just always seems so dark, gloomy and horrifying, which heightens the fearful atmosphere, while a great deal of the directing, gives you a perfect idea of our hero’s emotions every step of the way, as well as the overwhelming power of the terrifying villains in the story.

Full of timelessly terrifying scenes, hugely thrilling plot twists and writing, amazing acting and directing, this film definitely deserves its title as one of the best thrillers of all time, and that’s why I’ll give it an 8.5.