Hannibal Rising
Not so much a horror movie as a thriller and as that it is a great success
Review by Sirus

I read quite a few bad things about “Hannibal Rising” from a lot of review sources so I didn’t expect much from the movie coming in. “Hannibal Rising” is the tale of the origins of a killer and as such begins with Hannibal Lector’s childhood. As a child, Hannibal grew up in his family’s castle until they were forced to flee from the German invasion of WWII. After leaving the castle, Hannibal and his family flee to one of their nearby cottages to escape where they are attacked by Russian troops. Hannibal witnesses brutal acts committed against his family by the hands of the Russians. The atrocities he witnesses forever haunt Hannibal as he attempts to go on and live a normal life. We see the sorts of terrible things he sees every night in his dreams and witness his quest for revenge.

The entirety of the movie has a sort of magic about it similar to that I felt in Perfume: Story of a Murderer. The movie is not so much a horror movie as a thriller and as that it is a great success. The movie took hold of me from the very beginning and never let go. Every scene that one would assume to be dull was exciting because of the impending doom one of the characters was about to face. Gaspard Ulliel made a great Hannibal with the perfect gleefully disturbing expressions on his face as he disposed of his victims. The movie’s score felt very similar to that of Perfume and really added to the mood. The movie has a good amount of blood and gore but nothing excessive. Fans of Serial Killer movies and especially the previous Hannibal movies should check out this movie. I had a great time and would go see it again.

Final Score: 4.5/5