These are the best Anthony Hopkins Movies

To speak of Anthony Hopkins is to refer to one of the best actors in the history of cinema. Recently, he conquered all of Hollywood thanks to his most recent role in The Father, where he played a character of the same name and who is going through old age, characterized by dementia and memory loss.

It should be noted that the 83-year-old artist set a record in the history of the Oscars: he became the longest-lived person to win this trophy. The previous one had been Henry Fonda, who achieved it at the age of 76 for On Golden Pond, in 1981. 

He also made history by obtaining his second Oscar with the greatest age difference in relation to the first. 30 years had to pass since The Silence of the Innocents, where he only appeared for 16 minutes, although he managed to amaze the audience. Knowing that Anthony Hopkins is at a perfect moment in his career, we decided to review his extensive filmography to choose his best films and roles.

The Silence of the Innocents (1991)

Perhaps the most iconic role on this entire list, but also one of the most memorable films of all time, winner of that year's Oscar. Directed by Jonathan Demme and based on the novel by Thomas Harris, it tells the story of Clarice Starling, a young FBI detective in search of Doctor Lecter, a renowned psychiatrist.

Her objective?  To capture a serial killer, known as Buffalo Bill. Here we have the role that allowed Hopkins to jump to stardom because he shone with a really complex character, that marked a before and after in the history of cinema. Undoubtedly, an essential film for lovers of police thrillers.

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

From then on, an attempt was made to exploit his acting talent and demonstrate all his versatility. Hopkins decided to be part of the cast of Dracula, by Bram Stoker, based on the novel of the same name and by the same author, although directed by the legendary Francis Ford Coppola, of the iconic Godfather saga.

There Hopkins puts himself in the shoes of Professor Abraham van Helsing: an old doctor who specializes in strange creatures. The reality is that the performance went wonderfully: the actor gives us a character as brilliant as he is deranged, but he also helps narrate the film, considered one of the best adaptations of all time.

Also read: Oscar Special: 'Mank', the latest from David Fincher

Hannibal (2001)

Directed by popular filmmaker Ridley Scott, Hannibal is a continuation of The Silence of the Innocents. The premise is basic: one of Hannibal Lecter's survivors, the millionaire Mason Verger, is still alive and wants revenge on him, so he decides to start a search to torture and kill him.

The truth is that the film carried the enormous expectations of a brilliant first installment, but it also managed to be a worthy sequel. Again, Hopkins continues with his iconic role and manages to terrify all viewers, with a character that soon became part of popular culture.

The two popes (2019)

When everyone believed that Anthony Hopkins would only be an excellent 90s actor, he began to reinvent himself with ideal roles for his age. In this case, for a film by Fernando Meirelles, where he plays Pope Benedict XVI, in a role that brought him back to the front pages of Hollywood, as he was nominated for Best Supporting Actor last year, although he was defeated by Brad Pitt.

In this film, based on real events, we see how Benedict XVI begins to move away from his highest position in the Church, to end up being succeeded by Pope Francis. For Hopkins, it meant a return to fame with a well-received film.

The Father (2020)

Directed by Florian Zeller, this film shows the harsh reality of elderly people who begin to suffer from signs of dementia: from the emotional fragility they experience on a personal level to those conflicts that arise with their family.

The specialized critics have mentioned the enormous effort that Hopkins had to show the weirdness of his character. For example, HobbyConsolas highlights the sensational performance of Hopkins, which included the stubbornness typical of his age, the signs of the loss of notion of reality, and even the emotions of perceiving his condition.

Without a doubt, Anthony Hopkins has been an actor who marked an era, thanks to the great films that we have just seen. However, to the surprise of many, he still has a lot of tricks under his sleeve.