Manhunter

Anthony Hopkins has defined the popular conception of Hannibal Lector and, by extension, the erudite serial killer. But before The Silence of the Lambs there was Manhunter (1986), Michael Mann’s thriller featuring the first appearance of Dr. Lecter (or Dr. Lecktor, as his name is spelled in the film). Mike loves it for its shots of men brooding over bodies of water as they make decisions and finds it “the most Michael Manliest” of the director’s output; Dan thinks the setup is great but that the film becomes unruly and less tidy than the genre demands. There’s a lot of bickering in this one, although both agree that Brian Cox is terrific. Manhunter is an adaptation of Red Dragon, Thomas Harris’s 1981 bestseller. Follow us on X and Letterboxd–and let us know what you’d like us to watch! Incredible bumper music by John Deley. Also check out the new Substack site, Pages and Frames, for more film-related material.