Silence of the Lambs brought quite a bit of gravitas (5 Oscars) to the horror genre when it came out in 1991. Twenty four years later, the film still delivers a chilling tone to a viewer jaded by the ever-increasing levels of gore and terror delivered by modern horror films. Jodie Foster’s Clarice simultaneously conveys vulnerability and feminist-style determination, played against Anthony Hopkins’ unbelievable turn as the brilliant and quietly terrifying Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Ted Levine is equally unnerving as the unforgettable Buffalo Bill, a role that laid the foundation for Levine’s subsequent horror characters in movies such as Banshee Chapter and The Hills Have Eyes. This one goes on my annual watch list, as perhaps the best non-ghost-alien-or-demon horror film of all time.
