Movies Like The Silence Of The Lambs You Really Need To See

Jonathan Demme's "The Silence of the Lambs" may not have started America's long-standing obsession with serial killers, but it certainly helped fuel it. Part psychological drama, part horror-thriller, and part police procedural, the chilling masterpiece is generally considered to be a stone cold classic and remains a cultural touchstone, having influenced countless films that have come after it.

Based on the best-selling novel by Thomas Harris, "The Silence of the Lambs" stars Jodie Foster as FBI trainee Clarice Starling, who is sent to elicit clues from the incarcerated cannibal Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) in an effort to help get inside the mind of another serial killer, Jame Gumb, aka "Buffalo Bill" (Ted Levine). But Lecter has a way of getting inside his opponents' minds, and if Clarice isn't careful, catching one killer may end up leading to the escape of another. "Quid pro quo," as Lecter likes to say.

Not only is "The Silence of the Lambs" the only horror film to have thus far won an Academy Award for best picture, it's also only the third film in history to win all "big five" Academy Awards. It also earned the Oscars for best director (Demme), best actor (Hopkins), best actress (Foster), and best adapted screenplay (Ted Tally), although there's a still fair amount of controversy about how it depicts the transgender experience.

As much as it has going for it, "The Silence of the Lambs" is not without peers. While not all of the following films are quite on its level, they all share similarities with "The Silence of the Lambs" that should keep fans entertained, disturbed, and perhaps a little frightened.

"What's in the box?" You'll have to watch David Fincher's "Seven" to find out, but it will be time well spent. Like "The Silence of the Lambs," "Seven" is generally considered to be one of the more compelling psychological thrillers not only of the '90s but of all time.

The gritty, noirish crime thriller follows two detectives, the soon-to-retire ​​William Somerset (Morgan Freeman) and the younger David Mills (Brad Pitt), as they become drawn into the case of a serial killer known as John Doe (Kevin Spacey), whose murders are inspired by the seven deadly sins, like sloth, greed and gluttony. As the men get closer to solving the crimes, they don't realize that they're becoming ensnared in the killer's sinister game.

The events of "Seven" culminate in a shocking and unforgettable ending, though an alternate ending was at one point considered. Although it was largely ignored by the Academy, as horror-skewing films often are, Richard Francis-Bruce did receive a nomination for best editing on the film, and Andrew Kevin Walker was nominated for a BAFTA for his excellent screenplay.

Before South Korean director Bong Joon-Ho was collecting Oscars for his widely acclaimed "Parasite," he was directing other masterpieces of cinema, including 2003's "Memories of Murder."

The expertly-crafted crime thriller follows Park (Song Kang-Ho), a simple-minded small-town detective in rural South Korea who finds himself trying to track down whomever is responsible for a string of local rapes and murders. After teaming up with a younger, slicker detective from Seoul named Cho (Kim Roi-ha), the two men work together but find that their styles clash. Park believes he can identify the perpetrator by looking him in the eyes, while Cho has a more modern, higher-tech approach to fighting crime. As they sift through suspects, they begin to realize that this killer may be harder to find than they initially believed, culminating in a profoundly haunting ending.

"Memories of Murder" is loosely based on South Korea's first documented serial killer case, the Hwaseong Serial Murders, which took place in the late '80s and early '90s. At the time of filming, the murders had yet to be solved. However, in 2019, police identified a suspect who ultimately confessed to the killings.

Another Asian crime thriller that fans of "The Silence of the Lambs" should appreciate is South Korean director Kim Jee-woon's "I Saw the Devil."

A bit more action-heavy than some of the other entries on this list, "I Saw the Devil" follows inspector Kim Soo-hyun (Lee Byung-hun), whose fiancée has been brutally murdered by a serial killer, Jang Kyung-chul (Choi Min-sik). Soo-hyun hunts Kyun-chul down, hellbent not only on catching him, but on exacting revenge. Soon, Soo-hyun is carrying out his own grisly acts of violence in his quest for vengeance, the price for which may just be his soul.

"I Saw the Devil" is a grim, harrowing film that highlights the dark side of revenge. Squeamish viewers might struggle with its extreme violence, but "Silence of the Lambs" aficionados will appreciate this tense, grisly game of cat-and-mouse.

Another atmospheric neo-noir mystery that will keep you guessing until the end is Martin Scorsese's "Shutter Island." In it, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as U.S. Marshall Edward "Teddy" Daniels, who, along with his new partner Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo), arrives on the titular island to investigate the escape of Rachel Solando (Patricia Clarkson) from her locked cell at the Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane. While facing an uncooperative staff and sorting through cryptic clues, Teddy begins to have migraines and nightmares about his time in the army during WWII, as well as the death of his wife Dolores Chanal (Michelle Williams), who was killed in a fire set by an arsonist. As it turns out, confronting his own past may be the key to cracking the case.

Based on a novel by Thomas Lehane and influenced by the works of Alfred Hitchcock, "Shutter Island" is a delightfully pulpy big budget genre film, the likes of which don't get made very often. It may not be Scorsese's best movie, but it's worth the time for those inclined to appreciate such works.

When it comes to police procedurals and psychological horror films, Italian giallo cinema is a good place to turn, and Dario Argento's "Tenebrae" is one that fans of "The Silence of the Lambs" should appreciate.

Anthony Franciosa stars as Peter Neal, an American mystery novelist who travels to Rome with his agent (John Saxon) and assistant (Daria Nicolodi) to promote his latest book, only to become caught up in the hunt for a serial killer who has been inspired by his work to commit a string of gruesome murders. As the body count continues to grow, Neal slowly begins to unravel the killer's identity, but there are some big twists along the way, as well as quite a bit of blood.

In typical giallo fashion, "Tenebrae" is a stylish, visually stimulating work of horror, with a driving, pulse pounding soundtrack that adds to the overall relentless feel. Not for the squeamish, the bloody thriller was relegated in the U.K. upon its release to the bin of "video nasties," although it is now often cited as one of Argento's best works.

Before he became famous for directing epic sci-fi films like "Dune," "Arrival," and "Blade Runner 2049," Dennis Villeneuve was known for directing thrillers like 2013's "Prisoners."

Jake Gyllenhaal stars in "Prisoners" as Detective Loki, who is called in to investigate the kidnapping of two girls, one the daughter of Keller and Grace Dover (Hugh Jackman and Maria Bello), and one the daughter of Franklin and Nancy Birch (Terrence Howard and Viola Davis). When a suspect named Alex Jones (Paul Dano) is arrested and then released due to lack of evidence, the frustrated Keller decides to take matters into his own hands. Though Loki continues investigating new leads, Keller kidnaps Alex, and then, along with Franklin, begins torturing him.

"Prisoners" is a compelling, dark, and haunting edge-of-your-seat thriller, bolstered by its strong ensemble cast. Variety called it "spellbinding," noting its "complex moral center" and praising Gyllenhaal and Jackman's performances as career bests.