Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991) - At every possible opportunity, I try to bring awareness to NBC’s criminally under-seen horror/drama Hannibal. Mads Mikkelsen plays the title character, and he does it so well many, including me, think he might indeed surpass the legendary Sir Anthony Hopkins in the role. Nevertheless, even if revisiting Silence of the Lambs doesn’t lead to checking out Hannibal, few films are more rewatchable. Maybe it’s the innate vulnerability in Jodie Foster’s performance as Clarice —which, by the way, is every bit as timeless as Hopkins as Hannibal— that draws us in, since it’s so easy to project ourselves into her light-footed shoes. Many forget the film’s most famous and influential scene has nothing to do with everyone’s most cherished cannibal. In the action finale of the film, Clarice steps with nearly paralyzed precision through a basement engulfed in total darkness as she’s stalked with night vision goggles. Lambs might not be as scary as it was in the early 90s, but it’s every bit as intense.









Gattaca (Andrew Niccol, 1997) - Often cited as one of the better and smartest science fiction movies ever made, or at least the best you’re likely to see screened in school, Gattaca is about eugenics. The film takes place in a future that, almost ten years after its release, we see is faster approaching than ever. The core premise is this: the wealthy can afford to manipulate the genes of their children, making them perfect in every way. Those who aren’t wealthy cannot. Ethan Hawke plays Vincent, a conventionally born son to a wealthy family. He has a diatribe of symptoms destined to undermine his lofty ambition of being a space pilot. What does he do? He fakes it. He conjures up a detailed and incredibly clever plan to convince everyone he meets he was born through genetic manipulation, and his story becomes a springboard for powerful ideas that, hopefully, promote engaging post-viewing discussion. Gattaca is the rare science fiction film that puts the science in science fiction, and it becomes more relevant every single day.



