Every Hannibal Lecter Movie & TV Show, Ranked (2024)

Dr. Hannibal Lecter has been part of our pop-culture consciousness since 1981 when author Thomas Harris invented him in the pages of his psychological horror novel, Red Dragon. Since then, Dr. Lecter's appearances have crisscrossed different mediums, including film and television, turning this serial killer with a taste for human flesh into one of the most memorable villains of the modern-day era.

Most general audiences will know Hannibal Lecter best, thanks to the Academy Award-winning The Silence of the Lambs . Anthony Hopkins took home the Oscar for his incredible performance in that film as the deranged sociopath toying with the young FBI trainee Clarice Starling under the pretense of helping her catch the equally menacing Buffalo Bill. As good as that film unquestionably is, the unique nature of Hannibal Lecter's depravity has led to other successful adaptations. Which is the best? Grab some fava beans alongside your favorite bottle of chianti, and let's find out.

7 Hannibal Rising Features a Disappointing Depiction of Its Titular Villain

Starring Aaran Thomas and Gaspard Ulliel as Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Hannibal Rising, the most recent film to star Hannibal Lecter, is part of an early 21st-century trend of origin stories (see Batman Begins,Revenge of the Sith, and Casino Royale). Featuring a screenplay from Dr. Lecter's creator, Thomas Harris, this project should have provided the definitive word on Lecter's beginnings. In some ways, that's precisely what it accomplished; it just didn't do so in a particularly memorable fashion.

The story of Hannibal Rising tracks Hannibal Lecter's journey from his dire upbringing in 1940s Lithuania, where his parents are brutally murdered during WW II, and a rouge SS-militia unit cannibalizes his sister. Over a decade later, Hannibal finds himself developing his own taste for human flesh as he hunts down and murders the men responsible for his sister's death. The biggest problem with this film is Gaspard Ulliel's performance as the older Hannibal Lecter. Compared to the other talented actors who brought this role to life, Ulliel's take is rote and uninspired.

6 Clarice Barely Qualifies as Part of the Hannibal Franchise

Starring N/A as Dr. Hannibal Lecter

There's an argument to be made that Clarice shouldn't even qualify for this list. Why? Despite ostensibly being part of the "Hannibal Lecter Universe," this television series didn't feature the infamous cannibal for even one second in any of its 13 episodes due to the complicated issues with the legal rights to the character. (The De Laurentiis family owns the rights specifically to Hannibal Lecter himself, and any adaptation that wants to include him must run through them.) As such, Clarice, which explores what happened to Agent Starling in the immediate aftermath of The Silence of the Lambs, was behind the eight-ball from the start.

This CBS procedural-like drama stars Rebecca Breeds as Clarice Starling and, like Hannibal Rising before it, attempts to provide a nuanced exploration of Starling's childhood trauma and the PTSD she suffered while bringing an end to Buffalo Bill. Unfortunately, it's hindered by bland dialogue and heavy-handed storytelling. In some ways, being unable to mention Lecter by name did Hannibal a favor while also guaranteeing that this series would never get a second season.

Clarice

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5 Red Dragon Gave Hopkins a Chance to Reprise One of His Greatest Roles

Starring Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Based on the marketing that appeared ahead of Brett Ratner's Red Dragon, the film was meant to restore the character of Hannibal Lecter to his former glory following a decade in which only one follow-up to The Silence of the Lambs was produced to a lackluster reception. The irony is that, for as many problems as Ridley Scott's Hannibal has, it's still much better than this uninspired adaptation.

Make no mistake, the fault doesn't lie in Red Dragon's talented ensemble cast, which not only brought back Anthony Hopkins in the role that made him famous but also big-name stars like Edward Norton, Harvey Keitel, Ralph Fiennes, and Emily Watson. No, the problem is wholly with the director, Brett Ratner, the workman-like (and problematic) filmmaker who no one would ever confuse with a director boasting actual artistic vision. If Ratner has any talent, it lies in the realm of action and comedy, not thrills and suspense, as this movie more than makes clear.

Red Dragon

R

Drama

Thriller

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A retired FBI agent with psychological gifts is assigned to help track down "The Tooth Fairy", a mysterious serial killer. Aiding him is imprisoned forensic psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter.

Director

Brett Ratner

Release Date

October 4, 2002

Cast

Anthony Hopkins , Edward Norton , Ralph Fiennes , Harvey Keitel , Emily Watson , Mary-Louise Parker , Phillip Seymour Hoffman

Writers

Ted Tally

Runtime

124 minutes

Main Genre

Crime

Sequel(s)

The Silence of the Lambs

prequel(s)

Hannibal Rising

Franchise(s)

Hannibal

4 Hannibal Didn't Quite Maximize Its Potential

Starring Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Ridley Scott's Hannibal occasionally reaches great heights. Still, it's hard to endorse this adaptation of Thomas Harris' sequel to The Silence of the Lambs as anything close to approaching the best this franchise has to offer. The problems started from the very beginning when Jodie Foster passed on the option to return as Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore was brought in instead) because Harris' novel infamously featured Starling falling in love with Hannibal Lecter, a decision that many critics heavily panned.

With the help of screenwriters David Mamet and Steven Zaillian, Ridley Scott embraced the book's more slasher-like qualities and put the romantic subplot on the back burner (even though elements of it are still there) by concentrating on a now-disgraced Agent Starling racing to capture an escaped Hannibal before one of his surviving victims, Mason Verger, gets his revenge. As memorable (and stomach-churning) as the infamous scene of Ray Liotta being fed his brains is, Hannibal can't quite live up to the expectations set by the best franchise has to offer and is, at best, the most beautifully shot B-horror movie ever made.

Hannibal

R

Crime

Horror

Drama

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See Also

Hannibal Lecter Movies in Order: How to Watch Chronologically and By Release Date

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Director

Ridley Scott

Release Date

February 9, 2001

Cast

Gary Oldman , Julianne Moore , Ray Liotta , Anthony Hopkins

Runtime

2 hours 11 minutes

Main Genre

Thriller

3 Manhunter Reimagined the Role of Hannival Lecter

Starring Brian Cox as Dr. Hannibal Lecter

This often-forgotten initial adaptation of Thomas Harris's Red Dragon offers a slow-burn hunt for the maniacal Tooth Fairy Killer (Tom Noonan) as seen through the one-of-a-kind lens of director Michael Mann. While essentially remaining faithful to the novel, Manhunter somewhat minimizes the role of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (stylized here as "Lecktor"), which allows for a greater emphasis on William Petersen's FBI profiler Will Graham as he attempts to put a stop to Tooth Fairy's murder spree.

Simplifying the story of Manhunter heightens Michael Mann's Miami Vice-like sensibilities, such as the neon-washed cinematography and the pulsing synth soundtrack, which are used to great effect in this film. Unfortunately, for as much menace as Noonan brought to the role of Francis Dolarhyde and the sinister charm Cox generates for Lecktor, the movie itself was a giant dud upon its initial release. However, since then, the film has been reappraised and earned its rightful place as one of the better Hannibal projects.

Manhunter

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2 The Silence of the Lambs Remains an Iconic Piece of Cinema History

Starring Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Over three decades since it was first released, The Silence of the Lambs is still an unquestionable masterpiece. The only horror movie to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards (unless you count The Shape of Water, which we really shouldn't), The Silence of the Lambs, as directed by Jonathan Demme, is a clever and utterly haunting adaptation of Thomas Harris's celebrated novel.

As fantastic as Jonathan Demme's direction of this film is (the framing choices alone make watching The Silence of the Lambs worth it), the film's real strength lies in its performances. Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins's chemistry is off the charts in their scenes together, and the way in which they so fully realize their characters makes the scarier moments all the more frightening when they happen. The film's final act is still unrivaled in terms of overall intensity, and Hopkin's turn here will go down in the history books as one of the most civilized portraits of pure evil ever captured.

The Silence of the Lambs

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Director

jonathan demme

Release Date

February 14, 1991

Studio

MGM

Cast

Jodie Foster , Anthony Hopkins , Scott Glenn , Ted Levine

Runtime

118 minutes

1 Hannibal Perfectly Captured the Terror and Nuance of Hannibal Lecter

Starring Mads Mikkelsen as Dr. Hannibal Lecter

Bryan Fuller's Hannibal is easily one of the most visually stunning and morbidly inventive series ever to grace television (let alone network television). This NBC-produced entry in the series was an absolute feast for the eyes in more ways than one, but more than that, it provided an incredibly memorable game of cat and mouse between its two main characters, Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen) and Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) the heights of which have seldom if ever been topped.

Bloody, stylized, and most importantly, emotionally gripping, showrunner Byran Fuller somehow combined the best elements of Thomas Harris' source material (except for Silence) into the wildest and most encompassing Hannibal Lecter story ever told. Grounding the overarching story in Hannibal and Will's tragic codependency (with more than a hint of eroticism) was a bold choice but paid off in dividends by the conclusion of the series' third season. The only problem was that Hannibal was eventually canceled. Passionate fans have been begging for a new season or movie ever since. Hopefully, we get it one day because that's exactly what the best Hannibal Lecter adaptation deserves.

Hannibal

TV-MA

Crime

Drama

Horror

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Release Date

April 4, 2013

Cast

Hugh Dancy , Mads Mikkelsen , Caroline Dhavernas , Laurence Fishburne , Aaron Abrams , Scott Thompson

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

3

Creator

Bryan Fuller