The Silence of the Lambs, the acclaimed thriller starring Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins, has landed a new streaming home in the UK.
The 1991 film, based on Thomas Harris's novel of the same name, follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Foster) as she goes on the hunt of a serial killer named Buffalo Bill, with the officer enlisting the help of the imprisoned Hannibal Lecter (Hopkins).
Written by Ted Tally and directed by Jonathan Demme, the horror thriller is now available to stream in the UK on BBC iPlayer, though it is only there for a finite period as it is due to leave the streamer on 16 September.
Featuring Ted Levine and Scott Glenn in supporting roles, The Silence of the Lambs garnered considerable acclaim, taking home the 'big five' Academy Awards in Best Picture, Best Actress (Foster), Best Actor (Hopkins), Best Director and Best (Adapted) Screenplay.
This is a feat that is yet to be replicated since, and it had only been done two times prior, with It Happened One Night and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest making the same achievement in 1935 and 1976 respectively.
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The acclaim is evidenced by its approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which currently stands at an impressive 95% from 154 reviews. Its audience score is identical, though with over 250,000 ratings.
"Director Jonathan Demme's smart, taut thriller teeters on the edge between psychological study and all-out horror, and benefits greatly from stellar performances by Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster," reads the site's critical consensus.
"Throughout the film, Demme gets across more terror than a dozen Friday the 13th [films] by showing not the horrifying thing itself but the faces of people looking at horror," wrote the Detroit Free Press, while Vulture called it "shockingly powerful".
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The Silence of the Lambs is the second adaptation of Harris's work following Manhunter in 1986. Hannibal, Red Dragon and Hannibal Rising followed in 2001, 2002 and 2007 respectively, while television series such as Hannibal and Clarice came in 2013 and 2021.
The film isn't the only thriller available on BBC iPlayer, with the streamer recently adding Alfonso Cuarón's Children of Men to its service. You'll have to hurry though, as the Clive Owen-led film is due to be removed in a fortnight!
The Silence of the Lambs is streaming now on BBC iPlayer.
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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
