The Silence of the Lambs

Jonathan Demme's 1991 psychological thriller is one of only three films to sweep all five major Academy Awards (Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Screenplay), a feat unmatched by #1 Psycho or #2 Rear Window. Jodie Foster's FBI trainee Clarice Starling faces Hannibal Lecter — voted the #1 villain in film history by the AFI — while hunting a serial killer on a $19M budget; it grossed $272M worldwide, making it 14% more profitable than #4 Se7en's $327M on $33M. The film remains a cultural landmark with a 95% Rotten Tomatoes score.