The Silence of the Lambs

Movie · 1991

A landmark psychological thriller in which an FBI trainee enlists imprisoned cannibal Hannibal Lecter to help catch a serial killer who skins his victims. The horror is mostly psychological and atmospheric, but the film contains graphic gore, disturbing imagery of murder victims, and strong sexual content.

Sexual violenceExplicit sexual contentHarm to animalsMedical traumaGraphic violence & goreAbuse & manipulationFlashing lights

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Medical traumaearly in the filmModerate

Crime-scene photographs of female murder victims with skin removed are displayed and discussed in detail during an FBI briefing.

Sexual violenceClarice's first walk past the cells in the psychiatric prisonModerate

A prisoner throws semen at Clarice as she walks past his cell; the act is framed as degrading assault rather than sexual content.

Abuse & manipulationClarice's sessions with Lecter throughout the filmStrong

Lecter repeatedly uses personal information to psychologically probe and destabilize Clarice; exchanges are tense and manipulative.

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