A Hannibal movie that isn't really a Hannibal movie, Michael Mann's wonderfully stylish "Manhunter" centers FBI profiler Will Graham (William Peterson) and Tooth Fairy Killer Francis Dollarhyde (Tom Noonan) ahead of serial killing psychiatrist Hannibal Lecktor (Brian Cox) in an adaptation of Thomas Harris' "Red Dragon" that came out five years before -- and, in my opinion, is better than -- Jonathan Demme's Oscar-winning "Silence of the Lambs". And prioritising Graham and Dollarhyde over Cox's Lecktor (no idea why it isn't Lecter) turns out to be a brilliant gambit, since both Peterson and especially Noonan give magnetic, excellent performances in their respective roles, and share excellent scenes with the likes of Dennis Farina and Joan Allen as they embark on a collision course towards each other that's perfectly choreographed by Mann. Sure, "Manhunter" doesn't have a scenery-chewing Anthony Hopkins like the other Hannibal movies do (save "Hannibal Rising", of course) but when it's this compelling story-wise, packed with neat visuals, and has a great '80s soundtrack to boot, it doesn't actually need a Hopkins. It scarcely needs Brian Cox either, although he's fine as pre-Hopkins Hannibal. What it needs is the kind of recognition "Silence of the Lambs" gets, because it's damn good.
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