Brian Cox was the best Hannibal Lector

[McNutt]

And Manhunter was the best Lector movie.

[hepcat]

Mads Mikkelsen. That is all.

[TheMix]

And Manhunter was the best Lector movie.

Completely agree. I've always felt that way.

[McNutt]

Mads Mikkelsen. That is all.

Was that a good show? I've never seen it and love Mads. Did you ever see The Hunt?

[hepcat]

Mads Mikkelsen created a Hannibal Lecter that was more controlled than Hopkins or Cox. His portrayal was cold and emotionless. He observed everyone around him as playthings and he loved to see what he could make people do. Hopkins' Lecter was controlled, but the violence was always near the surface. He felt like he was trying to keep that side of him in check. The part that loved the blood and viscera. Mikkelsen's Lecter only resorted to violence when there was no other way, and you felt like he was disdainful of it.

I don't remember Cox's portrayal well enough to compare and contrast.

Overall, Mikkelsen's Lecter appealed to me more. His Lecter was driven by intellectual curiosity first and foremost, which would make sense for someone who felt like they weren't really human. He was a god and humanity was his to do with his as he would.

I would HIGHLY recommend watching the entire run. It's grotesquely beautiful in a way that will sometimes shock you. When you realize you're getting hungry watching someone prepare human lungs to serve his dinner guests, you know you've fallen headfirst into the show.

You can stream the entire thing on Shudder or AMC+ right now.

As for The Hunt, I haven't seen that one yet. I've watched a LOT of his stuff though, so I'll have to find it. I remember reading about it at the time it was released and not thinking I would enjoy it. But it's Mikkelsen, so who knows. He managed to make a great Western called The Salvation, for crying out loud.

[Hipolito]

And Manhunter was the best Lector movie.

Completely agree. I've always felt that way.

And Silence of the Lambs is overrated.

[TheMix]

Manhunter will always have a special place in my heart. I watched it many many times during my high school years. My friends and I bonded over the soundtrack.

To my high school self, Cox's portrayal was chilling. Just the right amount of undertones.

While I like Hopkins, I really disliked what he and the director did with the character. I felt like they practically made him into the "hero" of the story. Which is a trend I don't like that seems to be more common these days. I also didn't care for the humor (which also seemed like it wanted me to like him).

Maybe it's because I read the book. It just really felt like Hopkins' portrayal strayed.

Perhaps I need to watch the show. What you describe is certainly more in line with the character presented in the book. On the other hand, I don't think I'd enjoy the grotesque stuff.

[TheMix]

And Manhunter was the best Lector movie.

Completely agree. I've always felt that way.

And Silence of the Lambs is overrated.

Whole-heartedly agree.

[McNutt]

I really liked The Silence of the Lambs. I just thought Hopkins' was a bit too creepy.
Cox was just downright scary because he seemed like a real person and not a caricature.

The scene where Will figures it out in Manhunter was fantastic. That poor guy was always on the brink of losing his mind and it terrified him. He knew what going down that path could do to him, but he chose to do it to save people. Mann and Peterson really nailed that.

[TheMix]

The scene where Will figures it out in Manhunter was fantastic. That poor guy was always on the brink of losing his mind and it terrified him. He knew what going down that path could do to him, but he chose to do it to save people. Mann and Peterson really nailed that.

And another +1

I always get chills in that scene. I love the reactions from Dennis Farina's character.

[em2nought]

There can be only one!

Silence of the Lambs is one of those movies that if I stumble across it while channel surfing I'll just leave it there. Sort of like Jaws, Shawshank, Stand by Me, or The Blue Max.

[hepcat]

Manhunter will always have a special place in my heart. I watched it many many times during my high school years. My friends and I bonded over the soundtrack.

To my high school self, Cox's portrayal was chilling. Just the right amount of undertones.

While I like Hopkins, I really disliked what he and the director did with the character. I felt like they practically made him into the "hero" of the story. Which is a trend I don't like that seems to be more common these days. I also didn't care for the humor (which also seemed like it wanted me to like him).

Maybe it's because I read the book. It just really felt like Hopkins' portrayal strayed.

Perhaps I need to watch the show. What you describe is certainly more in line with the character presented in the book. On the other hand, I don't think I'd enjoy the grotesque stuff.

It’s grotesque AND beautiful at the same time. The end result of the madness of the killers featured in the story is akin to an art installation. There’s a reason the show is perennially on the list of greatest tv shows of the 21st century.

The scene where Will figures it out in Manhunter was fantastic. That poor guy was always on the brink of losing his mind and it terrified him. He knew what going down that path could do to him, but he chose to do it to save people. Mann and Peterson really nailed that.

That was the driving story behind Hannibal the show. Lecter saw in Will a kindred spirit and it gave him actual hope that he could finally find his equal in this world. They turned their story into a love story by the end (at least in Lecter’s mind). But not in a sappy way. That final scene? Fantastic.

[em2nought]

I'm not sure how I managed to miss this "Manhunter" movie all these years. Going to look for it tonight.

[YellowKing]

I liked all of the Lecters in their own way. Cox captured the realism, Hopkins captured the creepy, Mikkelsen captured the elegance. Silence of the Lambs is one of my favorite movies of all time so I'm biased towards Hopkins' portrayal, but I enjoyed all the iterations.

[ImLawBoy]

While I like Hopkins, I really disliked what he and the director did with the character. I felt like they practically made him into the "hero" of the story. Which is a trend I don't like that seems to be more common these days. I also didn't care for the humor (which also seemed like it wanted me to like him).

Maybe it's because I read the book. It just really felt like Hopkins' portrayal strayed.

I read the book when it first came out, and I loved Hopkins' Lecter. Sure it was different, but I've found I tend to be a lot more tolerant of book-to-film changes than most, so I can see how it could be frustrating.