Part one of Rolling Fog, Creepy Passageways, Murderers Lurking In The Dark: My Own Halloween Challenge

A thriller of the most potent and exotic flavor, Manhunter is one of Michael Mann's "manniest"; an abundance of 80s style and frightening tension mixed in with some of the most sensual imagery to grace the silver screen. The performances by William Petersen, Dennis Farina, Kim Greist are all wonderful, but it's the powerhouse performances by Brian Cox (woefully underused) and Tom Noonan that steal the show and run out the door with it.

Michael Mann's screenplay of Thomas Harris's novel is just as quietly layered and technology-eccentric as every film he's made since, but it comes with a silence scream of a pace; sending viewers on a ride that builds and builds to a cathartic conclusion of immaculate proportions.

The Direction by Michael Mann, combined with the cinematography of Dante Spinotti, is a vibrant and lush view of utter bleakness and depravity. Every image is beautiful, but a dark element is always visible. The multitude of colors, comprised mainly of orange and blue hues, bring the film to a look that feels like it was born in a jungle. Plus, the music by The Reds and Michel Rubini is full of heart-thumping swagger and pristine beats, gliding along the action and the story that flows like liquid mercury.

Overall, you just gotta see this. One of Mann's best, Manhunter is a thriller to the absolute maximum, sending audiences of a disturbing and jaunting ride that feels like a perfect match for a fever-dream. Look out, It's a stunner.