10 Things You Learn Rewatching Hannibal

It's clear when rewatching Hannibal that this series is a totally different presentation of Lecter than we have seen before. With the possible exception of the movie Hannibal (which is either a superb movie based on a terrible book or a terrible film based on a superb book), the Bryan Fuller version of our favourite therapist-cannibal is pure art-house horror.

With beautifully framed, symmetrically perfect camera shots, lavish slow motion sequences and exquisite set designs, Hannibal is presented in a way that Lecter himself would have approved of; minimalist, allegorical, always considered, and consistently beautiful.

The horror genre has always been considered a lesser art form, undeservedly so, and there are many examples, particularly Hannibal, which disprove this. The Exorcist director William Freidkin and his use of Magritte imagery, F. W. Murnau’s Nosferatu and the use of German expressionism to illustrate the horror of post war Europe, plus almost every A24 production released, bring a real artistry to the world of on-screen scares.

In the universe of Hannibal, every detail is considered; from the elegant scenery and lavish works of art on display, to the ever-invasive nightmarish visions that Will Graham’s troubled mind brings to life. The human stag, as a representation of Lecter himself, is pure allegory and is a classic example of a visual means to advance the plot without having another character spouting endless exposition.

A picture tells a thousand words and Hannibal has a lot to say without uttering a single one.