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Crime thriller

The Silence of the Lambs (1991): Cast, Ratings & Box Office

The Silence of the Lambs (1991) movie poster

The Silence of the Lambs is a 1991 crime thriller directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. It is based on The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. It runs 1 hour 58 minutes and earned $272.7 million worldwide on a $19 million budget. It won 5 Oscars, including Best Picture and Actor in a Leading Role, and 9 awards in all. Critics gave it 86 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.6/10.

IMDb rating
7.6/10
worldwide gross
$272.7M
Oscars won
5
Metascore
86
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Watch the trailer Read the plot summary
The Silence of the Lambs (1991) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 58m (118 min)
Director
Jonathan Demme
Genres
Thriller , Crime
Original language
English
Studio
Orion Pictures Corporation
Budget
$19M
Based on
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Silence of the Lambs About?

The premise of The Silence of the Lambs without spoilers, adapted from The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

FBI trainee Clarice Starling is tasked with interviewing the brilliant but incarcerated psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter to help catch another serial killer. As she seeks his insights into the killer's disturbing behavior, Lecter manipulates and probes Starling, forcing her to confront her own traumatic past. The intense collaboration becomes a dangerous game of psychological cat and mouse, blurring the lines between hunter and prey.

The Silence of the Lambs Themes & Keywords

· 2 tags
  • making of
  • dvd extra
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Cast & crew

The Silence of the Lambs Cast

Anthony Hopkins leads the cast, with Jodie Foster. Directed by Jonathan Demme.

From the director

More from Jonathan Demme

More films directed by Jonathan Demme, best-rated first: Stop Making Sense, Neil Young Trunk Show, The Agronomist and Neil Young: Heart of Gold.

Full filmography
Ratings

The Silence of the Lambs Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave The Silence of the Lambs 86 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.6/10.

Plot

The Silence of the Lambs Plot Summary

What happens in The Silence of the Lambs from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Clarice Starling, a determined FBI trainee, is tasked by her supervisor, Jack Crawford, to interview the infamous Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant yet terrifying former psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer, currently imprisoned. Crawford sees an opportunity to extract insights from Lecter about a psychopath known as “Buffalo Bill,” a killer who preys on overweight women and skins them for reasons known only to him.

Full summary

The whole story of The Silence of the Lambs, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

The Silence of the Lambs Box Office & Budget

The Silence of the Lambs grossed $272.7 million worldwide on a $19 million budget, 14 times what it cost. $130.7 million came from the US and Canada and $142 million (52%) from the rest of the world.

1991 box office

Worldwide gross

$272.7M

14× its budget

US & Canada
$130.7M
International
$142M
Budget
$19M
US & Canada 48% Rest of the world 52%
Awards

The Silence of the Lambs Awards & Nominations

The Silence of the Lambs won 5 Oscars, including Best Picture and Actor in a Leading Role, and 9 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Oscars 1992, with 5 wins from 7 nominations.

9 wins25 nominations5 ceremonies

Show all 5 ceremonies
Videos

The Silence of the Lambs Trailers & Videos

18 videos: 4 trailers, 5 clips and 9 featurettes.

All 18 videos
UK Re-release Trailer
  • Trailer Back in Cinemas Official Trailer
  • Trailer Official Trailer
  • Trailer Official Sizzle
  • Clip "It Rubs the Lotion On Its Skin"
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Silence of the Lambs?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the profession of Clarice Starling?
Cars

Cars in The Silence of the Lambs

31 cars on screen, including the 1991 Dodge Dynasty and the 1974 Ford Pinto.

All 31 cars
  • 1991 Dodge Dynasty in The Silence of the Lambs 1991 Dodge Dynasty Important role
  • 1974 Ford Pinto in The Silence of the Lambs 1974 Ford Pinto Important role
  • 1939 Packard Twelve in The Silence of the Lambs 1939 Packard Twelve Important role
  • 1986 Chevrolet Caprice in The Silence of the Lambs 1986 Chevrolet Caprice Minor role
Details

The Silence of the Lambs Also Known As

42 alternative titles, including “De schreeuw van het lam” and “Kravta dumili”.

Also known as
  • De schreeuw van het lam
  • Kravta dumili
  • Hitsujitachi no Chinmoku
  • O Silêncio dos Inocentes
  • 양들의 침묵
  • 한니발 1
  • Milczenie Owiec
  • El Silencio de los Inocentes
  • El silencio de los corderos
  • Quzuların Səssizliyi
  • Le Silence des agneaux
  • سکوت بره ها
+30 more
  • Маўчанне ягнят
  • Das Schweigen der Lämmer
  • Молчание ягнят
  • A Bárányok hallgatnak
  • Il silenzio degli innocenti
  • Kuzuların Sessizliği
  • Uhrilampaat
  • 沉默的羔羊
  • Mlčení jehňátek
  • När lammen tystnar
  • Ondskabens øjne
  • Кад јагањци утихну
  • 羊たちの沈黙
  • Η Σιωπή των Αμνών
  • שתיקת הכבשים
  • Мовчання ягнят
  • Tăcerea mieilor
  • سکوت بره‌ها
  • Мълчанието на агнетата
  • Avinėlių tylėjimas
  • Voonakeste vaikimine
  • Nattsvermeren
  • Sự Im Lặng Của Bầy Cừu
  • Ko jagenjčki obmolknejo
  • Mlčanie jahniat
  • El silenci dels anyells
  • Jēru klusēšana
  • อำมหิตไม่เงียบ
  • صمت الحملان
  • Kad jaganjci utihnu, კრავთა დუმილი

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From the blog

Articles About The Silence of the Lambs

6 articles about The Silence of the Lambs. The latest: “The Art of Creating Suspense in Thriller Movies”.

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FAQ

The Silence of the Lambs FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of The Silence of the Lambs, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Silence of the Lambs?

The Silence of the Lambs runs 1 hour 58 minutes (118 minutes).

When was The Silence of the Lambs released?

The Silence of the Lambs was released on February 13, 1991.

Who directed The Silence of the Lambs?

The Silence of the Lambs was directed by Jonathan Demme.

More films by Jonathan Demme

Who is in the cast of The Silence of the Lambs?

The Silence of the Lambs stars Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster.

How much did The Silence of the Lambs make at the box office?

The Silence of the Lambs grossed $272.7 million worldwide ($130.7 million domestic, $142 million international) on a budget of $19 million.

How is The Silence of the Lambs rated?

The Silence of the Lambs has 7.6/10 on IMDb, 86 on Metacritic and 83% on TMDB.

Is The Silence of the Lambs based on a book?

Yes. The Silence of the Lambs is adapted from The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris.

What awards did The Silence of the Lambs win?

The Silence of the Lambs won 9 awards from 25 nominations, including Actor in a Leading Role at the Oscars 1992.

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