With the October Horror Binge in full swing, I decided to take a step into the world of psychological thrillers with horror elements.  And what better film to fall into that category than the classic Oscar winning The Silence of the Lambs, starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins?

Has there been a more terrifying and intense performance than Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Hannibal Lecter?  It is why he was able to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for the role when he only actually appears on screen for a little over 16 minutes.

Jodie Foster brings the goods in this movie as Clarice Starling, a young FBI cadet who is sent in to see Lecter in an opportunity to pick Lecter’s brain about another serial killer, ‘Buffalo Bill’ (Ted Levine), who skins his victims.  Lecter takes a strange liking to Clarice and leads her to clues on the case.

While the leads get a lot of the well-deserved attention, Ted Levine does not get the credit he deserves for creating one of the most disturbing and frightening serial killers that we have sen on screen ever.  Some of Levine’s moments are absolutely menacing and horrifying.  It is unbelievable that the actor Ted Levine who played Buffalo Bill is the same actor who played Leland Stottlemeyer on Monk.

Director Jonathan Demme is masterful in the creation of suspense and tension. The shots are both disturbing and beautiful all in one.

If you have not seen The Silence of the Lambs, this is the ultimate film of suspense and tension.  The film contains a bunch of outstanding performances and some of the best direction you will ever see.  It is an all-time classic and worth the re-watch any time.