Directed by Jonathan Demme [Other horror films: Beloved (1998)]
This is one of those very contested, borderline genre pieces. Personally, I find there enough qualities in this classic to consider it a horror flick, but if you’re one of the many who just don’t see the horror here, that’s understandable too. That discussion aside, The Silence of the Lambs is of course a solid movie, with it’s biggest strengths being the story and great performances.
It’s the combination of Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins that really give this movie life. Hopkins does a great job as Lecter, and despite his moderately short screen-time, he has a presence that really can’t be contested in the film. Playing Buffalo Bill, Ted Levine shows a fantastic, crazy side as opposed to Hopkins’ calmer form of insanity. Other performances worth noting are Scott Glenn (I love his rather straight-laced character here), Anthony Heald (who I saw somewhat recently in the 2006 comedy Accepted), and Frankie Falson (admittedly, he didn’t really do much, or get that much screen-time, but he’s still an actor I appreciate).
When you combine such a stellar cast with a pretty hypnotizing story, only good things can come from that, which I think is clear from the film. Though violence wasn’t much the point, there are a couple of standout sequences, such as Lecter’s breakout, that are well-worth seeing.
Quite often, this is a clever and psychological film, and it’s obviously very well-known, and for good reason. Many probably wouldn’t consider the film horror, but like other well-loved borderline flicks, such as Jaws and Identity, I certainly think it has its place in the genre. A great film with a lot going for it, this is definitely a 90’s film worth seeing, if for some reason you’ve not already.
8.5/10
Jiggy's Horror Corner 
I would certainly classify this movie as a horror, and a thriller! It’s a great one, as you wrote, and the two leads are indeed amazing in it!
I’ve put a link to your review below the one I wrote on my blog, I hope it’s ok for you! :–)
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By all means.
This movie is one that I think people tend to dispute partially because the film is so mainstream. It always seems to me that horror is a snubbed genre, a genre that’s fun but not ‘serious,’ and so some of the really mainstream films, be it this one, or Jaws, or whatever, get claimed as another genre (when in reality, you’re right, as the movie’s both horror and thriller, not to mention crime),
Many thanks for the comment.
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You’re right! And to think that most great directors chose to make horror movies at a certain point: Scorsese, Kubrick… Not to mention John Carpenter or Mario Bava!
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