Is The Silence of the Lambs overrated? Not from a filmmaking perspective. Is it worth watching? Absolutely. The Silence of the Lambs is scary good. From Anthony Hopkins' performance of Hannibal Lecter to Jonathan Demme's direction, The Silence of the Lambs is a masterpiece. In this analysis essay, I'll be delving deep into why. Also, whether you consider The Silence of the Lambs a horror movie or not, it was the first film of its kind to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. That's a pretty big deal.