Hannibal (2001)
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A disgraced FBI agent must navigate a deadly game of cat and mouse to capture a notorious cannibalistic serial killer.
The story
Ten years after the escape of cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter, FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling is blamed for a botched drug raid resulting in five deaths. This failure draws the attention of Mason Verger, Lecter's only surviving victim, a wealthy and disfigured man who uses his influence to have Starling reassigned to Lecter's case. Verger hopes her involvement will lure Lecter from hiding. Meanwhile, Lecter is hiding in Florence under a false identity. As Starling tracks him, she becomes entangled in a dangerous web of conspiracy involving a corrupt official and a desperate search for the elusive killer.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Ten years after the escape of cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter, FBI Special Agent Clarice Starling is disgraced following a botched raid. Mason Verger, Lecter's disfigured victim, uses his wealth to have Starling assigned to find Lecter, hoping to lure him out. Lecter is hiding in Florence as 'Dr. Fell.' While Starling investigates, a local policeman, Rinaldo Pazzi, discovers Lecter's identity but is murdered by him. Verger's men eventually capture Lecter and hold him in a pen of boars. Starling infiltrates the estate and rescues Lecter, but is shot during the escape. They both survive and end up in the home of Paul Krendler, a corrupt official. During a tense dinner, Lecter kills Krendler by feeding him his own brain matter. The film concludes with a tense standoff where Starling and Lecter are handcuffed together before the police arrive, ending with a mysterious scene of them sharing a piece of Krendler's brain on a flight.
- First release year
- 2001
- Runtime (minutes)
- 132
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ridley Scott
- Writers
- David Mamet · screenplay; Steven Zaillian · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Anthony Hopkins · Dr. Hannibal Lecter / Dr. Fell; Julianne Moore · FBI Agent Clarice Starling; Gary Oldman · Mason Verger; Ray Liotta · Paul Krendler; Frankie R. Faison · Barney Matthews; Giancarlo Giannini · Chief Inspector Rinaldo Pazzi; Francesca Neri · Allegra Pazzi
- Genres
- horror; drama; psychological drama; psychological horror; psychological thriller
- Themes
- Romance; Retribution and punishment; Corruption
- Tone and mood
- dark; elegant; grotesque
- Premise and plot tags
- cannibalism; serial killer; FBI investigation; sequel
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1999 novel by Thomas Harris
- Franchise connections
- Hannibal Lecter films
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received generally negative reviews from critics, who praised the performances and visuals but criticized its violence and compared it unfavorably to its predecessor.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 39% · scale: percentage · review count: 175; CinemaScore · score: C+ · scale: A to F
- Production trivia
- The film's title sequence was influenced by the film Seven.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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