What we flagged
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Our take
A young agent leans on a brilliant, cannibalistic prisoner to help her catch a man who murders women, and the whole film stays grim and uneasy. The crime scenes are grisly, the caged killer is chillingly calm, and a few stretches tip into real horror. The swearing is heavy and crude, and one prisoner aims nasty sexual taunts at her. This is firmly grown-up material that we would keep away from younger teens.
Uplifting themes
Surrounded by cruelty, a determined young woman holds on to both her nerve and her compassion, and the film prizes quiet courage over swagger. A steady thread about protecting the vulnerable runs underneath The lead is a focused, brave, principled heroine who wins respect in a world that keeps underrating her. She stays decent under huge pressure, which is worth drawing out for the older teens who watch
Story (may spoil tone)
Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.
What we flagged
Details
Violence Killing drives everything here, from shootings to a savage prison break…
Killing drives everything here, from shootings to a savage prison break that leaves bodies behind. The attacks can come suddenly and up close, and even when the camera looks away quickly the danger stays heavy throughout
Language Strong language runs right through the script, with the f-word and s-wo…
Strong language runs right through the script, with the f-word and s-word used often. A prisoner throws a crude sexual slur at the young agent, and sharp insults crop up throughout. Swear-sensitive homes should treat it as near constant
Sex / nudity No sex is shown, though the case keeps circling talk of sex crimes, pas…
No sex is shown, though the case keeps circling talk of sex crimes, past affairs, and a suspect's gender identity. A couple of leering remarks land on the lead. Everything here stays in the dialogue, with nothing visual
Drugs / alcohol Adults drink socially, the famous wine line arrives over an imagined di…
Adults drink socially, the famous wine line arrives over an imagined dinner, and cigarette smoke hangs about in a few scenes. None of it is made to look appealing, and it simply sits in the grown-up world around the case
Frightening Creeping dread fills the whole film, from the killer's cold stare to th…
Creeping dread fills the whole film, from the killer's cold stare to the pitch-black basement finale. Several scenes are properly scary, built on stalking, captivity, and a truly dangerous predator. Sensitive viewers will feel the weight
Sexual violence The murders single out women, and detectives talk openly about whether…
The murders single out women, and detectives talk openly about whether the victims were assaulted, settling that one was not. The killer strips and degrades those he takes, kept mostly off screen yet deeply unsettling in tone
Bullying / discrimination The men around the young agent size her up, talk down to her, and leer,…
The men around the young agent size her up, talk down to her, and leer, and the film quietly notes the sexism she has to push past. It never dominates the story, but it is plainly there and shapes how she is treated
Gore / death / weapons The crime scenes are grim, taking in a flayed corpse, a severed head in…
The crime scenes are grim, taking in a flayed corpse, a severed head in a jar, and a mutilated body put on show after the escape. Blood and injury are shown plainly, if only briefly. Squeamish viewers will find it strong going
Grief / bereavement A childhood loss and a haunting memory of her father drive the agent on…
A childhood loss and a haunting memory of her father drive the agent on, and the caged killer picks at that wound to rattle her. The sorrow underneath gives her mission real weight
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
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Talk after watching
- The young agent stays calm and principled around men who try to rattle her. How does she hold her nerve?
- This thriller unsettles you without relying on constant gore. What makes a story scary beyond the violence itself?
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The Silence of the Lambs
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