What is the iRankMovies score for The Silence of the Lambs?

Name: The Silence of the Lambs
Director: Jonathan Demme
Genre: crime, drama, thriller
Released: 1991
Duration: 1 h 59 min
Rating: 8.6

The Silence of the Lambs has an iRankMovies score of 88.1/100, based on a weighted combination of IMDb (×3.0), Rotten Tomatoes (×2.0), Metacritic (×1.5), and TMDb (×1.0).

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

To enter the mind of a killer she must challenge the mind of a madman.

Release:1991

Runtime:1h 59m

Country:United States

Director:Jonathan Demme

Language:English

Genre

CrimeDramaThriller

See the best crime movies →

Keywords

PrisonBased On Novel Or BookKidnapping Psychopath FbiScientific Studymurder Serial Killer

iRank88

The Silence of the Lambs rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb8.6/10· 1.7M votes

Rotten Tomatoes95%

Metacritic86%

TMDb8.345/10· 18K votes

With 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 8.6/10 on IMDb and 86/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been very positive.

About The Silence of the Lambs

Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

Cast of The Silence of the Lambs

Jodie Foster
as Clarice Starling
Anthony Hopkins
as Dr. Hannibal Lecter
Scott Glenn
as Jack Crawford
Ted Levine
as Jame Gumb
Anthony Heald
as Dr. Frederick Chilton
Brooke Smith
as Catherine Martin
Diane Baker
as Senator Ruth Martin
Kasi Lemmons
as Ardelia Mapp
Frankie Faison
as Barney
Tracey Walter
as Lamar
Charles Napier
as Lt. Boyle
Danny Darst
as Sgt. Tate

The Silence of the Lambs facts

Budget: $19M
Box office: $272.7M
Collection: The Hannibal Lecter Collection

Our take on The Silence of the Lambs

Jonathan Demme's 1991 thriller sends rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling to pick the brain of imprisoned cannibal Hannibal Lecter in order to catch another killer. A landmark of psychological horror, it's a chess match of intellect and menace, anchored by two unforgettable performances. If its cat-and-mouse dread gripped you, seek out serial-killer thrillers and procedural nightmares that pit a vulnerable investigator against a brilliant monster.

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026Methodology Data sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

•Jonathan Demme explores cannibalism and brutality through psychological thriller mastery
•Crime-horror adaptation captures biting cannibalism concept with unprecedented intensity
•Novel-based narrative maintains narrative complexity while translating literary dialogue

What the audience disliked

•Graphic brutality may overwhelm viewers seeking less visceral crime drama experience
•Cannibal protagonist characterization occasionally veers toward sensationalism

Saga: The Hannibal Lecter Collection