The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Anthony Hopkins gives imprisoned Hannibal Lecter an unsettling control over conversational pace: he can make Clarice Starling feel examined while she is supposed to be asking the questions. Jodie Foster's concentration makes that contest work. The Silence of the Lambs also has a separate killer under investigation, Buffalo Bill, played by Ted Levine; Lecter is a dangerous source of help rather than simply the target of the chase. Expect graphic bodily horror and a disturbing treatment of gender.