In 1980, FBI special agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) visits Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), a renowned forensic psychiatrist, to discuss a challenging case. Graham has been working closely with Lecter on profiling a serial killer who mutilates his victims and removes certain organs. Graham deduces that the killer is a cannibal when it becomes apparent that these organs are used in cooking. During a visit to Lecter’s home, Graham notices a bookmarked sweetbreads recipe in Lecter’s study, confirming his suspicions that Lecter himself is the killer.
Realizing his cover is blown, Lecter attacks Graham, stabbing him viciously. Despite being severely injured, Graham manages to stab Lecter with arrowheads and shoots him before collapsing. Both men survive the encounter, but the ordeal leaves Graham physically and emotionally scarred. Lecter is arrested, declared not guilty by reason of insanity, and incarcerated in an institution for the criminally insane. Traumatized, Graham retires from the FBI and relocates to Florida with his wife, Molly (Sarah Louise Parker), and their young son, Josh.
Years Later: The “Tooth Fairy” Case
Several years later, the FBI faces a new serial killer terrorizing the public. Nicknamed the “Tooth Fairy” the killer has brutally murdered two entire families, the Jacobis and the Leeds, during full moon phases. With another full moon approaching, special agent Jack Crawford, desperate for progress, persuades Graham to come out of retirement and assist with the investigation. Initially reluctant, Graham reviews the evidence and agrees to help, though he is haunted by memories of his encounter with Lecter.
While examining the crime scenes, Graham feels that the Tooth Fairy is a killer he cannot yet visualize—a faceless predator. To gain further insight, he decides to consult Lecter, despite the personal toll it will take. Graham visits Lecter in his cell, and their interaction is charged with tension. While Lecter feigns helpfulness, he harbors his own agenda.
Francis Dolarhyde: The Tooth Fairy
Francis Dolarhyde (Ralph Fiennes), the man behind the Tooth Fairy killings, leads a deeply disturbed life. He works at Chromalux, a home video conversion company in St. Louis. Dolarhyde is consumed by his alternate personality, which he calls the “Great Red Dragon,” inspired by the William Blake painting The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed in Sun. The image is tattooed on his back, and he believes his murders are part of a transformation that will bring him closer to becoming the Dragon. His psychosis is rooted in severe childhood abuse inflicted by his grandmother, which shaped his violent tendencies.
Dolarhyde’s admiration for Lecter leads him to write a letter to him, expressing his respect and seeking guidance. The letter, written on toilet paper, is discovered in Lecter’s cell by the FBI. The letter’s contents reveal Dolarhyde’s intentions and devotion to the Dragon. To communicate further, Lecter uses the personals section of the tabloid National Tattler to respond to Dolarhyde, cleverly encoding Will Graham’s home address in his reply. The FBI deciphers Lecter’s message in time to send Graham’s family into protective hiding.
Graham Provokes the Tooth Fairy
To lure the Tooth Fairy out of hiding, Graham collaborates with tabloid reporter Freddy Lounds for a risky plan. Graham gives an interview, claiming that the Tooth Fairy is an impotent homosexual and that Lecter merely pretended to admire him. Enraged by the perceived insult, Dolarhyde kidnaps Lounds, glues him to a wheelchair, and forces him to recant his statements on tape. After recording the confession, Dolarhyde sets Lounds on fire while he is still strapped to the wheelchair, leaving his charred body as a warning to Graham.
A Fragile Relationship
At Chromalux, Dolarhyde begins an unlikely romance with Reba McClane, a blind co-worker who treats him with kindness and respect. Reba’s lack of judgment or fear allows Dolarhyde to feel a connection he has never experienced before. However, his feelings for Reba clash with his alter ego’s demands, creating internal conflict. Struggling to suppress the Dragon’s control, Dolarhyde takes drastic measures. He travels to the Brooklyn Museum, where the original Great Red Dragon painting is displayed, and destroys it, even eating parts of the artwork in an attempt to exorcise the Dragon’s influence.
Closing In on Dolarhyde
Graham realizes that the Tooth Fairy gains access to his victims through their home videos, which must have been converted at Chromalux. Acting on this lead, Graham and Crawford investigate the company. Dolarhyde, spotting Graham at Chromalux, panics and flees. Suspecting Reba of betraying him, he kidnaps her and takes her to his home. There, he kills his co-worker Ralph Mandy and stages his own death using Ralph’s body to deceive authorities.
Dolarhyde drugs Reba and sets his house on fire, intending to kill her along with himself. However, at the last moment, he is unable to go through with killing her. Instead, he apparently shoots himself, allowing Reba to escape the burning house. Graham and Crawford arrive to find the aftermath and assume that the ordeal is over. However, during an autopsy, it is revealed that the burned body is Ralph Mandy, not Dolarhyde.
The Final Confrontation
Having faked his death, Dolarhyde tracks down Graham and his family in Florida. He infiltrates their home and takes Josh hostage. Using his grandmother’s abusive words to provoke Dolarhyde, Graham distracts him long enough for a violent struggle to ensue. Both men are injured in the fight, but the confrontation ends when Molly fatally shoots Dolarhyde, saving her family.
Aftermath
In the aftermath of the case, Graham and his family return to their sailboat, seeking solace and recovery from the trauma. Graham receives a letter from Lecter, congratulating him on solving the case and bidding him farewell. Meanwhile, Lecter, still imprisoned, is informed by his jailer, Dr. Frederick Chilton, that a young FBI trainee has requested to speak with him.
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