1991 Hit Film Was Just Ranked the 'Most Perfect Thriller Movie of the Last 50 Years'

Since its premiere in 1991, The Silence of the Lambs, adapted from Thomas Harris' 1988 novel, has continuously received accolades and acclaim. In fact, despite it being 35 years old, the Jonathan Demme-directed film was just named "the most perfect thriller movies of the last 50 years" by the publication Collider. According toCollider, The Silence of the Lambs deserves the title partly because of Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) and Dr. Hannibal Lecter's (Anthony Hopkins) intense, perplexing dynamic.

Collider's ranking, published on May 19, also featured beloved thrillers like Memento (2000), Se7en (1995), and Memories of Murder (2003).

The Silence of the Lambs, which snagged the Oscar for Best Picture in 1992, has a score of 95 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

Jodie Foster Shared Her Thoughts About Starling's Relationship With Lecter in a 1991 Interview

In a 1991 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Foster discussed Lecter and Starling's compelling relationship. According to Foster, Lecter was able to disarm the FBI trainee by figuring out her insecurities.

"The way he gets to Clarice is he finds out what the one thing about her, that the one thing that could repulse her about herself more than anything else. And I think, in some ways, it was pity, that he could look at her and say, 'You know I feel really sorry for you,'" said the actress in the interview.

Foster also said she believed Starling and the brilliant serial killer had a deep "respect for each other."

"They both cherish this idea of dignity. And that is very much a part of both of their personalities, this need for dignity for human respect and human contact. In some ways, they become completely confused with each [other], you know, they're completely intimate with each other," said Foster while speaking to Entertainment Tonight.

Foster also said that she believed Starling is a wonderful feminist character.

"She's a woman who uses her wits and her sensitivity and her perspicacity and emotions and vulnerability and a past that, in some ways, is historically negative. Somebody who is relentlessly five foot four. It's the head and the heart that combat the villain. And I can't think of any other more perfect feminine prototype for the woman who fights to save women. And everything else in the film supports that idea," said Foster, who won the Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of Starling.

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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 5:47 PM.