The best Anthony Hopkins movies, according to fans
Anthony Hopkins is irrefutably one of the greatest actors in history and with his Ancient Rome drama Those About to Die debuting on Peacock next week, it'd be rude not to dive into the Welshman's Top 10 movies on IMDb.
Co-directed by the master of big-screen disasters, Roland Emmerich, this 10-episode series places Hopkins in the sandals of Roman emperor Vespasian. It's bound to be another gravitas-powered performance from the two-time Oscar collector, following standout jobs as Van Helsing in Bram Stoker's Dracula; Dr. Robert Ford in Westworld; Don Diego de la Vega in The Mask of Zorro; Nicholas Winton in One Life; John Quincy Adams in Amistad, and Ted Crawford in Fracture.
Special mention must go to the star's narration in How the Grinch Stole Christmas too, as well as his underseen bear-attack thriller The Edge.
Now that they're off our chest, let's get stuck into the best Hopkins movies according to fans:
The Silence of the Lambs (8.6 score)
Bagging the top spot, unsurprisingly, is Jonathan Demme's classic adaptation of the 1988 novel written by Thomas Harris. In it, Jodie Foster's trainee FBI agent Clarice Starling needs some advice from the crazed psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who happens to enjoy the taste of human meat.
Previously played by Succession star Brian Cox in 1986's Manhunter, Hopkins's cannibal made such an impression that several of his lines from The Silence of the Lambs have become iconic - "A census taker once tried to test me... I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice Chianti," being just one of them.
Lambs swept up at the Oscars, with Hopkins taking home his first Best Actor prize. Its sequel Hannibal and prequel Red Dragon saw him return to Lecter's twisted mind, but neither stood a chance of getting that lightning back in the bottle.
The Father (8.2)
Arguably his most devastating work to date, The Father featured Hopkins as dementia sufferer Anthony, who refuses any kind of assistance from his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman). It's a gentle, fiery and naked piece of acting, and rightly brought him his second award at the Oscars in 2021.
Mirroring the perspective of his protagonist, director Florian Zeller chose to muddle up many of the scenes and character confrontations, making this one a visceral experience unlike any other.
The Elephant Man (8.2)
David Lynch's black-and-white biopic The Elephant Man does exactly what it says on the tin. It chronicles the discovery of John Merrick, a deformed 'circus freak' who becomes the study of Dr. Frederick Treves (Hopkins). John was based on the London artist Joseph Merrick from the late 19th century, who was believed to be born with Proteus syndrome.
John Hurt's beautiful portrayal will destroy you.
The Lion in Winter (7.9)
Co-starring Peter O'Toole, Katherine Hepburn and future 007, Timothy Dalton, 1968's The Lion in Winter centred on Henry II's attempts to establish a succession line back in 1183 - prompting headaches of a political and personal nature amongst French king Phillip II, Henry's estranged wife, his three surviving sons, and a mistress.
Maybe one for a rainy Sunday afternoon?
Thor: Ragnarok (7.9)
Rated just as highly is the third Thor blockbuster, in which Hopkins cameoed as the God of Thunder's father Odin. The Marvel Cinematic Universe is certainly a better place with him in it and director Taika Waititi's penchant for improvisation was a welcome change for the screen legend.
The wild and weird Thor: Ragnarok is recognised is a true banger in the MCU catalogue.
The Remains of the Day (7.8)
Nominated for eight Oscars, this Kazuo Ishiguro adaptation sees Darlington Hall butler Stevens realising just how misguided his loyalty was to the Earl of Darlington before the dawn of World War II.
Emma Thompson, Superman legend Christopher Reeve, Hugh Grant, and Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey all appear.
The World's Fastest Indian (7.8)
The World's Fastest Indian took Hopkins to the arena of speed bike racing as real-life record holder and New Zealand native Burt Munro, whose modified 1920 Indian Scout motorbike went down in history.
For fans of The Boys, Homelander himself Antony Starr pops up as a guy named Jeff.
The Two Popes (7.6)
From City of God director Fernando Meirelles came this powerful 2019 drama in which Pope Benedict XVI tries to convince Jonathan Pryce's Jorge Mario Cardinal Bergoglio to rethink his resignation as an archbishop following the Vatican leaks scandal.
Two popes played by two maestros at the top of their game. An absolute must.
Chaplin (7.5)
Robert Downey Jr's perfect rendition of Charlie Chaplin obviously steals the show here, but the low-key involvement of Hopkins as the comedy icon's biography editor George Hayden is a testament to the guy's taste in material.
Richard Attenborough - brother of documentarian David - also looked at Tom Cruise for the title role, but the energy wouldn't have been the same.
Legends of the Fall (7.5)
An epic Western to wrap up this mouthwatering list? Hell yeah.
Legends of the Fall charts a 50-year period in the lives of brothers Tristan, Alfred and Samuel Ludlow, who along with their sister Isabel Two were raised by their father Colonel William (Hopkins) and mother Pet in the Montana wilderness. It depicts how their lives get touched by nature, war and love.
It's a Best Cinematography winner at the Oscars, incase you're really into awesome vistas.
