I know what you’re probably thinking right now:
Has the Sports Guy lost his mind? “The Silence of the Lambs” is not a horror movie. It just isn’t.
Yes, it’s not a stereotypical horror film, it doesn’t have a ton of jump scares like many in its genre. Moreover, it doesn’t have a crappy plot, like many bad horror movies. (Although its sequels gradually become worse and worse with each iteration. I recommend the second movie, but I don’t advise watching anything past that, the Cliff Notes will do.)
The film’s dramatic buildups and crescendos make it seem like a thriller. It’s like NFL head coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense at full strength. It breaks you down with the run, and when you try to stop the run, it hits you with the play-action. (In words, it’s like poetry in motion.)
This film psychologically horrifies audiences. Take the first meeting between FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) and Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins).
Anthony Hopkins’ performance as Lecter in this one scene is single-handedly the most iconic, skin-crawling, goosebump-awakening moment in cinema history. If this scene is on, I’m pausing it, grabbing popcorn and a drink, and glued to the screen for the next hour and or so.
The first person point-of-view shot in the introduction to this scene places the audience into Clarice’s shoes as she comes face-to-face with the twisted doctor. In fact, much of this movie uses this device, something that more horror films should adopt.
When entering the basement of the mental hospital, we see the various types of inmates who inhabit this facility. They are deeply troubled individuals who descend in scales of sanity. However, at the end of the hallway, stands Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who watches the viewer with an eerie grin.
Dr. Lecter presents himself as an articulate man who is well-read and has a distinguished appreciation for the high standards of life, which can be seen through his drawing of the Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy. Furthermore, Lecter has an advanced ability to sense the world around him. He is able to pick up the scent of Clarice’s body lotion just through a brief smell.
However, he is not to be confused with a well-intentioned man. He psychologically torments his targets in a machiavellian manner. Lecter senses their weaknesses and attempts to lull them into a feeling of safety and comfort. Then, when he has all the leverage, he makes his play with the rope-a-dope move.
Even when Clarice is told of this ability ahead of time, she still falls into his traps, giving in to his pressure and revealing her true intentions within the meeting.
What makes this performance even better is the fact that Anthony Hopkins is only in the film for a mere 16 minutes. He’s like Dennis Rodman, forward on the ’90s Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association; he doesn’t have to do much to make a massive impact on the film. This performance earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1991.
If you haven’t watched “The Silence of the Lambs,” it is on HBO Max, but you can likely find it at your local library or online video marketplace.
It is not only one of the greatest horror movies of all-time, it is up there with “The Godfather” (1972), “The Dark Knight” (2008), “Pulp Fiction” (1994) and “The Empire Strikes Back” (1980) in the upper echelon of cinema. The film is a must-watch for horror fans and film lovers.