20 Best Performances In Horror Movies

During his portrayal of the infamous Hannibal Lecter, Sir Anthony Hopkins doesn't blink even once whilst he's on camera. Between the sneering close-ups, spine-tingling tics and thinly veiled threats via psychoanalysis, Hopkins makes sure to keep Hannibal as calm, composed, and therefore as sinister as humanly possible.

Hopkins secured himself an Oscar for his portrayal of the imprisoned murderer, despite only be on screen for a fraction of the film's runtime, and all these years later it's fair to say the Academy - for a nice change of pace - didn't drop the ball.

Lecter is about as unforgettable a horror villain there has ever been. Whether he's intimidating Clarice (Jodie Foster), making creepy phone calls or escaping from prison like a feral beast, Hopkins is a constant source of composed threat and dread, dominating the film as one of cinema's most memorable and disturbing antagonists.