Want to find out where you can watch every Hannibal Lecter movie (and series) in chronological order? Find out what order the series should be watched in, and find out where to watch each entry using our guide below.
In 1991, The Silence of the Lambs premiered and chilled audiences to their core. The film follows young FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) as she works to stop a killer known as Buffalo Bill, who kidnaps women and skins them. To ensure her success, she seeks the help of renowned forensic psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter. The problem is that Lecter is a serial killer himself and has his own nefarious intentions. Trapped between two killers, Starling must walk a tightrope to save Buffalo Bill’s victims, while also keeping herself alive.
But The Silence of the Lambs isn’t the original Hannibal Lecter story. The movie was actually adapted from a sequel novel written in 1988. The original Hannibal book came out in 1981 and was titled Red Dragon. The Silence of the Lambs also wasn’t the first Hannibal movie. It was actually 1986’s Manhunter that first brought the infamous cannibal to the big screen (though he was played by Brian Cox instead of Anthony Hopkins). The movie is based on the original Red Dragon novel and centers on a detective who is almost murdered by Lecter. But once a new serial killer called the Tooth Fairy begins murdering families, he’s forced to seek Lecter’s help to save lives. In 2002, another film adaptation of Red Dragon arrived, this time having Hopkins reprise his now-iconic role as Lecter.
In 2006 a prequel novel was released titled Hannibal Rising, which then became the earliest entry in the series chronologically. The following year, a film adaptation premiered, this time with Gaspard Ulliel portraying the younger Hannibal Lecter. The film shows how Lecter’s tortured childhood during World War II caused him to become desensitized to murder while also leaving him with long-lasting, unresolved trauma, thus explaining his descent into murder and cannibalism.
The final entry in the Hannibal series is 2001’s Hannibal. Based on the 1999 novel of the same name, the film takes place a decade after The Silence of the Lambs, and Clarice Starling is now played by Julianne Moore. The movie is far more outlandish than the previous entries and shows a strange bond develop between Starling and Lecter. The movie is also filled with way more gore than the previous films, including wild hog mutilations, eating human brains, and more. Still, Hannibal was a huge success at the box office.
Here’s how to watch the Hannibal Lecter movies both in order of release and chronologically.
By Order of Release:
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Manhunter (1986)
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The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
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Hannibal (2001)
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Red Dragon (2002)
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Hannibal Rising (2007)
By Chronological Order:
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Hannibal Rising
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Manhunter
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Red Dragon
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The Silence of the Lambs
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Hannibal
Fans of the franchise should also check out the highly acclaimed series Hannibal. While it doesn’t fit perfectly into the timeline, it’s still a fantastic series that’s developed a devout cult following thanks to its complex characters and excellent suspense. Another series, Clarice, premiered in 2021. Unlike Hannibal, it is very much rooted within the official timeline, taking place shortly after the events of The Silence of the Lambs.
Find out where to watch every Hannibal movie and series using our streaming guide below.
