Horror lovers are in for a treat after the spin-off series for the widely-acclaimed Silence of the Lambs lands on Amazon Prime Video.
The 13-episode CBS series, Clarice, is set a year after the events of 1991’s Silence of the Lambs, which saw Jodie Foster’s Clarice work with psychopath Hannibal Lecter to pin down serial killer Buffalo Bill.
The 2021 procedural follows FBI agent Clarice Starling (portrayed by Rebecca Breeds this time around) as she returns to the male-dominated field, navigates PTSD and tracks down serial killers anew.
Now reaching a fresh audience on Amazon Prime, the show has shot up the top 10 chart, already reaching number five and climbing in the UK.
Its renewed popularity is unsurprising considering how culturally-defining its predecessor is to this day.
Not only did Silence of the Lambs secure five Academy Awards in the biggest categories, but is has widely been hailed as one of the ‘greatest horror movies ever’.
As for the horror-thriller spin-off, that received mixed reviews after it was first released averaging a 58% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.
There was a positive reception from some quarters.
‘Clarice is not going to rival the film that spawned it but on its own, low-stakes terms, it’s a damn sight better than expected,’ the Guardian noted in its four-star review.
‘Creepy, suspenseful, and well-executed, the cast, crew, and creators on this offshoot of The Silence of the Lambs world have created a worthy world to investigate the origins of Clarice Starling,’ IGN Movies echoed.
Wall Street Journal dubbed it a ‘sharply written new tale’ while Variety said it was ‘made with curiosity, confidence, and craft’.
Not everyone was convinced, however, especially slamming the drab procedural style for a universe that has been so profoundly fleshed out in the acclaimed movie.
IMDb Calicodreamin called the show ‘underwhelming’. ‘The storylines are disjointed and the subplots/tangents are unnecessary and distracting,’ they added.
User Lizshotter claimed it ‘fails at every hurdle’ and justinfensack said it was ‘nothing special’.
Fans will have to decide themselves whether it holds a candle to the movie its tied to or if they enjoy it more as a standalone. Wherever you land, you’ll have to savour the first season as there are no more coming.
In an interview with Dazed at the time, lead star Rebecca shared her tentative connection with, and praise of, the source material.
Will you be giving Clarice a try?
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Yes, sounds right up my street
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No, I'll stick with the movie
‘The film is so iconic but I was too afraid to watch it! I’m not a scary movie kind of gal.
‘But one night it was on TV so I sat down with my dad to watch it together. I was terrified but also enthralled. I loved that it was so intelligent.
It’s the film that taught me the difference between a shock-horror film and a psychological thriller. I don’t know how many movies have done it like The Silence of the Lambs,’ the Australian actor said.
As for her approach to the iconic fictional character, she added: ‘I wanted to look at trauma truthfully and I knew it would take a lot in my personal life to do it right. But the other part of me was champing at the bit to dive into this.’
Clarice is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video now.
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