Watch Red Dragon

Red Dragon is a prequel to the critically acclaimed Silence of the Lambs, and it gives some background on the serial killer cannibal Hannibal Lecter, both the time before his capture and in his incarceration afterward. Red Dragon opens with the horrific murders of whole families in cycles that correspond with the full moon. The FBI, at a loss, brings in the retired specialist William Graham, who reluctantly takes the case. It is quickly made clear that William Graham was the agent who brought in Hannibal Lecter, and he consults with Lecter, playing games of cat and mouse with him in exchange for his insights in this new predator, who the press dub the Tooth Fairy for his tendency to leave monstrous bites on his victims. As Graham struggles to solve the case, the Tooth Fairy is revealed to be a shy man by the name of Dolarhyde. Despite the heinous nature of his crimes, Dolarhyde himself is displayed with a certain amount of sympathy. His derangement is obvious, and his horrific childhood contributes heavily to why he commits his crimes. As the police chase heats up, he becomes innocently enamored with a blind co-worker, who returns his affections. The investigation becomes personally charged for Graham, as his relationship with Lecter grows increasingly predatory. It soon becomes clear that not only is Lecter involved with Dolarhyde, he is is also coldly working to destroy Graham as well. Graham’s relationship with his own wife and son start to deteriorate as the case takes up more and more of his mind. The themes of Red Dragon revolve around predation and what it takes to make a monster. Dolarhyde is portrayed as an understandable monster, while Graham struggles with the fact that he is not as different from Lecter and Dolarhyde as he would like to be. The movie culminates in a series of shocking events, leaving the fate of all of the characters uncertain and uncomfortable.