He is cultured, appreciates a good Chianti and wraps detectives around his little finger as a pastime. We fear him, are fascinated by him and wish his opponent all the luck in the world: Hannibal Lecter. But in addition to his unusual collaboration with Clarice Starling, there is a completely different “partnership”. equally brilliant and disturbing is, but is often forgotten.
Red Dragon, which is currently available to watch with a streaming subscription on Amazon Prime, is one Parade of acting legends and comes up with a story that is as twisted as it is frightening. Nevertheless, the successor to the Oscar-winning The Silence of the Lambs is not valued enough. Time to change that.
Red Dragon on Amazon Prime puts Edward Norton on the trail of a cruel serial killer
Red Dragon continues the series of Thomas Harris film adaptations about Hannibal Lecter. Within the thriller universe, however, he turns the clock back to a time before Clarice Starling. A time in which the so-called Tooth fairy Baltimore was terrified.
Will Graham (Edward Norton) is stuck. His investigations are going nowhere while a madman has already brutally murdered and mutilated two entire families. His calling card: He attacks during the full moon, smashes the mirrors in the house and uses the shards for his horrific work. He also leaves behind Bite marks on the victims – hence his press name: tooth fairy.
To uncover the perpetrator, Will reluctantly teams up with his greatest enemy and perhaps most famous captured murderer: Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) himself. What Will should suspect, but doesn’t initially understand: Lecter is playing a double game with him. And so Will is soon stuck in a dilemma between two killerswhich he has to stop somehow.
Red Dragon is as gripping as its thriller predecessor and offers a better killer
Red Dragon doesn’t have an Oscar to its name and isn’t seared into the collective cultural memory like The Silence of the Lambs. But it is practically in no way inferior to its predecessor. Edward Norton as the stoic investigator is a pleasant counterpart to Lecter. And what’s more, the prequel offers alongside the good Hannibal simply the better serial killer.
We as an audience spend a fair amount of time with our tooth fairy. We follow his most inhumane actions, but also his everyday life, even though he is actually a completely normal guy. The gap between his two identities only becomes even more frighteningthe tension rises higher.
Every now and then you may catch yourself feeling pity for this murderer and cringe yourself. Red Dragon feels personal and intimate but not because of our closeness to an open-minded investigator like Clarice, but to the murderer himself. That gives you goosebumps in the best way.
Does anyone need a little more motivation? Perhaps the film’s beautifully captured iconic images can help. Or the rest of the cast: In addition to the Infernale duo of Hopkins and Norton, we can also expect Harvey Keitel, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ralph Fiennes and a wonderful Emily Watson.
So, let’s go now. Watch killers, be frightened, get excited, maybe have a Chianti with it? Red Dragon is currently available to stream with a subscription to Amazon Prime.
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