Netflix's horror and thriller collection has a towering legacy of classics that have been transforming the genre for years. Among horror's finest, the enduring interest in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs proves its immense influence and a plot that still resonates with the modern horror and crime narrative. 

Owing to its exquisite mix of psychological horror, stellar cast, and extraordinary narrative control, pop culture ranks it as one of the greatest thrillers ever produced. 

But where to unearth this legendary classic in the streaming era?

In December 2025, The Silence of the Lambs is unfortunately still unavailable to watch in the US on Netflix, although it is listed as a part of Netflix's global catalog in some other regions. However, horror enthusiasts can still stream it on Kanopy, hoopla, and Plex.

Viewers can also rent or purchase it on Amazon Video and Apple TV for $3.99. Since the streaming rights for old classics usually change between services quite often, The Silence of the Lambs might still be found on Netflix in some areas.

The classic psychological horror thriller, which was released in 1991, has been added to Netflix's library in the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Sweden, and the Netherlands. Users seeking the comfort of the streaming platform can watch the Oscar-winning movie on Netflix using a regional VPN.

This movie's medley of horror, drama, and character study won it over the critics and the public, earning more than $272 million worldwide with a small budget of about $19 million. It was one of the very few horror movies that bagged all the Big Five Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Adapted Screenplay, thus raising the genre's bar forever.

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Time and again, The Silence of the Lambs has drawn the audience back into the dramatic and quotable world of terror. 

Directed by Jonathan Demme and based on Thomas Harris's novel, the story is heavily inspired by several serial killers, including Ed Gein. Its plot revolves around Clarice Starling, the FBI trainee played by Jodie Foster, and the incarcerated genius of Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic murderer. 

Together, the unlikely duo team up to catch another notorious serial killer named Buffalo Bill, portrayed by Ted Levine. While the film does not dig deeper into Bill's villain origin story, his childhood trauma, however, in the film, Lecter sums it up saying, "Our Billy wasn't born a criminal, Clarice. He was made one through years of systematic abuse." 

One of the many films inspired by real-life serial killer Ed Gein, The Silence of the Lambs takes limited elements from Gein's crime to embellish Bill's psychological profile. For instance, Bill skinning his female victims to create flesh garments is a page ripped straight out of Gein's playbook.

At its core, The Silence of the Lambs is a brain-numbing horror that plays a psychological chess with the audience and its own characters. Though not available to stream on Netflix US, this product of real forensic cases and psychological realism, with heightened dread, is a sleeper hit that went on to become the greatest horror movie ever told. 

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