Thwarted in her efforts to catch a psychopathic serial killer, FBI agent Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) turns to the imprisoned, dangerous and highly intelligent psychiatrist Dr Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) for unconventional assistance. Triggering a deadly psychological game of cat-and-mouse, where Lecter always seems to have the upper hand, the tension levels ratchet up as their goals become increasingly intertwined.