Red Dragon (2002)

Best cast of any Hannibal Lecter movie, directed like a careful photocopy. Red Dragon keeps nudging you to remember The Silence of the Lambs, and every nudge reminds you which one is better. Anthony Hopkins is fun to watch, but by now Lecter has turned into a polished stage act, all purring threats and raised eyebrows. The real movie is Ralph Fiennes as Dolarhyde, a lonely and frightening man, and Emily Watson as Reba, a coworker who is blind and treats him like a regular person. Their scenes together are tender and tense at the same time, and they’re the best thing here. Edward Norton is solid as the profiler who can’t switch his brain off. Philip Seymour Hoffman makes a sleazy tabloid reporter weirdly memorable. Brett Ratner never takes a single risk with any of it. It made $209.2 million worldwide on a reported $78M. A 6.4 because the cast is stacked and the direction plays it safe. $238 says you flip on the porch light tonight for a reason you won’t say out loud.

What works: Ralph Fiennes and Emily Watson’s scenes together are tender and tense, and the supporting cast is loaded top to bottom.

What doesn’t: Brett Ratner directs it like a safe copy of an older classic, and Hopkins plays Lecter as a crowd-pleasing routine.

Who it’s for: Grown-ups who loved The Silence of the Lambs and want one more round in that world with a stacked cast.