Hannibal Rising
Hannibal Rising

Hannibal Rising

2007Movie121 minEnglish

The story of the early, murderous roots of the cannibalistic killer, Hannibal Lecter – from his hard-scrabble Lithuanian childhood, where he witnesses the repulsive lengths to which hungry soldiers will go to satiate themselves, through his sojourn in France, where as a medical student he hones his appetite for the kill.

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Insights

IMDb6.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes17%
Metacritic34/100
Google Users60%
Director: Peter WebberGenres: Horror, Thriller, Crime

Plot Summary

This film explores the formative years of Hannibal Lecter, tracing his journey from a young boy in Lithuania during World War II to his early days as a cannibalistic killer. After witnessing horrific events and suffering personal tragedy, Hannibal embarks on a quest for revenge against those responsible, which sets him on a dark path. The narrative culminates in his development into the cultured, yet terrifying, serial murderer known to the world.

Critical Reception

Hannibal Rising received a generally mixed to negative reception from critics. While some acknowledged the film's attempt to delve into the origins of the iconic character, many found the story unconvincing and lacking the psychological depth of previous installments. The violence was noted, but often criticized for feeling gratuitous rather than psychologically driven.

What Reviewers Say

  • The film fails to provide a compelling or believable origin story for Hannibal Lecter.
  • Critics found the narrative predictable and lacking the suspense and psychological complexity of earlier Lecter films.
  • The attempt to humanize Lecter was largely unsuccessful, with many finding the violence gratuitous.

Google audience: Audience reviews for Hannibal Rising are somewhat divided. Many viewers appreciated the effort to explore Hannibal Lecter's backstory and the historical setting. However, a significant portion felt the film did not live up to the standard set by its predecessors and found the plot to be less engaging and the character's transformation unconvincing.

Fun Fact

Gaspard Ulliel, who plays the young Hannibal Lecter, was cast after director Peter Webber saw him in the film 'A Very Long Engagement'.

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TMDB Reviews

1 reviews
John Chard

John Chard

What made Hannibal the beast he was? Indeed, director Peter Webber and author Thomas Harris bring us Hannibal Lector (ne: Lecter) the formative years. Off the bat you have to say it's not overtly a horror film, something which has proved...