Hoop-Tober 2016 Film #21 of 31

Hannibal Lecter (or in this case, Hannibal Lecktor) is one of the most iconic villains of all time and despite a few misses in terms of films that he's been in the good Hannibal movies have been *very* good, with The Silence of the Lambs being one of my favourite horror movies of all time and of course the Hannibal TV show is one of my favourite as well. Here Manhunter, a Michael Mann (The Last Mohicans & Heat) adds to the list of great movies with the character in them, adapting the Red Dragon storyline and pitting Will Graham against a new serial killer not long after Lecktor has put behind bars.

Mann's distinct style is very clear here, with there being a very '80s vibe to this movie. The film benefits from a great cast, because whilst Brian Cox may be no Mads Mikkelsen or Anthony Hopkins, he's still damn good in his brief appearances as Hannibal but the main focus here is on Will Graham and William Petersen does a good job in helping to create the suspense and keep the pace high throughout the film. The tension is always there and the film while may feel dated in parts (VHS reference and the telephones) is still a really gripping watch.

Manhunter is an excellent film and is essential viewing for fans of thriller/horror films. Like a recent watch of The Guest it may not be *proper* horror, but it's still a pretty good movie experience that needs a watch at least once.