10 Great Horror TV Shows That Will Crush Your Soul

2013's adaptation of Thomas Harris' work follows Dr. Hannibal Lecter before he was outed as a cannibalistic psychopath. 

Based on the premise and source material, explicit violence should be expected. However, the gore is so artistically grotesque, it's sure to catch almost anybody off-guard. After watching a person being fed their own leg or transformed into a cello, you don't know whether to be impressed or gag in disgust.

Despite the barrage of nightmare-inducing imagery, it's the psychological aspects that hit deepest. The way Hannibal lulls his victims into a false of security while he manipulates them is beyond deplorable. 

Mads Mikkelsen is so charming as the titular doctor, it's difficult to decipher whether his affection is an act, especially towards the lead FBI agent, Will Graham. As horrifying as it is to see the victims being butchered, watching Hannibal sink his hooks in Will's psyche is arguably more hard-hitting, since it realistically depicts toxic love and codependency. 

At a certain point, the series feels more sad than scary, since everyone associated with the chianti-swilling doctor is doomed in one way or another. Even people who've dedicated themselves to right the wrongs of the world find themselves being corrupted or destroyed after being caught in Hannibal's embrace.