9 Origin Movies That Actually Worked

6. Red Dragon

Strictly speaking, there are two Hannibal Lecter origin movies, but Hannibal Rising is no good and does everything you don't want from a prequel in terms of demystifying the character.

Lecter being an inhuman monster with a sort of weird roguish charm was his inherent appeal - blunting him with too much backstory was just counterproductive.

In contrast, Red Dragon tells the origin story of Lecter's evil revelation, which is a far more interesting story. Alongside the compelling story of the Tooth Fairy (played incredibly well by Ralph Fiennes), it tells the story of how Lecter is uncovered and ends up in the cell where he meets Clarice Starling in The Silence Of The Lambs.

And knowing all that we know about him, watching him toying with agent Will Graham is like a delicious ballet that grabs you behind your eyes. It really doesn't get the attention it deserves as an origin movie.