We discuss 10 Similar Movies to The Silence of the Lambs. Add these well-recommended and thrilling movies to your watch list.
“Hello Clarice” is probably the most spine-chilling quote you can use; everyone knows exactly what you’re on about. The Silence of the Lambs is the 1991 thriller film that stars the brilliant Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster and sends shivers down its audience’s spines.
This film has an overall chilling atmosphere as we watch these two characters interact and play one another. Director Jonathan Demme changed the thriller genre with this film.
If you’re missing classic cult horror films like this, here is a list of 10 movies like The Silence of the Lambs for you to watch.
10 Similar Movies to The Silence of the Lambs
Se7en (1995)
Directed by (a young) David Fincher, the film stars Morgan Freeman and Brad Pitt, who doubles up as an iconic buddy cop duo. Like The Silence of the Lambs, Se7en features a detailed version of the relationship between the cat and the mouse, i.e., the killer and the police, and gives an insight into the hows and whys behind the actions of a killer.
Shutter Island (2010)
Martin Scorsese certainly knows how to create memorable crime films, and Shutter Island is one of them. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo, we follow the story of two US Marshals going into an asylum on a remote island after one patient is reported missing. There are unpredictable twists and turns in this story when the truth is revealed.
Misery (1990)
The story surrounds a romance novel writer, Paul Sheldon (Caan), who is seriously injured in a car accident and rescued by his biggest fan, Annie Wilkes (Bates). Wilkes has an obsession with Paul that grows and becomes incredibly intense as the film develops.
There’s a part where he accidentally moves one of her perfectly positioned ornaments, and it still makes me feel physically sick thinking about it. Similar to The Silence of the Lambs, this film is one of the most psychologically terrifying films you can watch.
Zodiac (2007)
I’m trying not to make this a David Fincher list, but he strikes again with the terrific thriller film Zodiac. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Chloe Sevigny as we follow the story of an unknown serial killer who begins to terrorize reporters and the police in California in the 1970s.
Reporter Paul Graysmith (Gyllenhaal) becomes engrossed by the case and spends years trying to find the culprit. It’s a dark, twisted, intense game of cat and mouse, and similar to Silence of the Lambs, it’s investigating the minds and processes of a killer.
Kiss the Girls (1997)
Kiss the Girls is the 1997 American neo-noir psychological thriller directed by Gary Fleder and stars Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd, and Cary Elwes. The film is based on James Patterson’s best-selling 1995 novel of the same name. It’s the terrifying true story of sex slavery in New York.
Copycat (1995)
This film is one if you’re looking for more strong female representations. This film is about Helen, an agoraphobic psychologist who leads a reclusive life after getting attacked by a psychopath. Later, she teams up with two detectives to hunt down a dangerous serial killer for closure.
Holly Hunter and Sigourney Weaver give a great performance.
Citizen X (1995)
Citizen X is the story of a serial killer in the 1980s called Andrei Chilkatilo, who embarked on an eight-year killing spree, killing 52 people. A lieutenant wants to stop the killing, but the Soviet bureaucracy makes this incredibly difficult.
In his determination, he is helped by his supervisor and psychiatrist to bring justice. It perfectly blends drama, crime, politics, and mystery. While interesting and informative, the story still allows us to play with theories.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
This captivating story follows a hunter who is pursued by a psychopathic killer after finding his two million dollars after a drug deal. Similar to The Silence of the Lambs, it’s filled with suspense and intrigue as we watch a psychotic man at work. The film also has one hell of a cliffhanger.
Insomnia (2002)
Films similar to Silence of the Lambs have the two leads sharing a perverse dynamic, teasing and testing relationship. One where two opposites warm to one another, and this is what happens in Insomnia. It’s another example of a cat-and-mouse chase as the police detective investigates the killing of a teenage girl. In order to get answers, you must get into the mind of a killer.
My Friend Dahmer (2007)
It’s the true, haunting story of a young Jeffrey Dahmer, showing how a shy teen became one of history’s most notorious serial killers. Ross Lynch gives a commanding performance as Dahmer, and his interpretation will send shivers down your spine.
Do you have any other recommendations for Similar Movies to The Silence of the Lambs? Let us know in the comments below.
