Two iconic horror villains face off in this ultimate showdown! Watch as we compare the dancing demon clown from Derry against the sophisticated cannibal in five intense rounds. From their chilling backstories to their unforgettable performances, we'll determine which horror legend reigns supreme.
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00:00This video is brought to you by Locked, starring Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins in the
00:07ultimate horror-thriller.
00:09Only in theaters March 21st.
00:10Oh, Agent Starling, you think you can dissect me with this blunt little tool?
00:15Welcome to WatchMojo, and in honor of the horror-thriller Locked, starring Bill Skarsgård
00:20and Anthony Hopkins, we're pitting their iconic horror villains Pennywise the Dancing Clown
00:24and Dr. Hannibal Lecter against each other.
00:27There will be a few spoilers for the It and Hannibal movies.
00:31Popcorn!
00:32Is that your favorite?
00:33Uh-huh.
00:34I do!
00:35Round one, backstory.
00:40Underneath the ghastly makeup, Pennywise is something far more complex, an extraterrestrial
00:46entity that can take on a shape specifically tailored for its petrified prey.
00:50Of course, a creepy clown will usually do the trick, being It's go-to form.
00:55Arriving in Derry, Maine, millions of years ago, the creature made its presence known
00:59with the arrival of humans, feeding on their fears.
01:01They showed me the past.
01:03Showed me the way it appeared to them.
01:13It then retreats into hibernation, with the cycle repeated roughly every 27 years.
01:18While its backstory sounds complicated, there's a simplicity to the creature's motivations
01:22and the universal fears it embodies.
01:25Although its true form is clouded in mystery, the deadlights provide a glimpse of this pure
01:29evil.
01:30If you don't believe, close and see.
01:40While some versions of Hannibal Lecter provide deep dives into his backstory, Hopkins' tenure
01:44mainly focuses on his life post-arrest.
02:00When audiences first met the serial killer in The Silence of the Lambs, Lecter was already
02:05incarcerated.
02:06Yet, it's clear from his manner of speech that Lecter is a brilliant psychologist with
02:10a vast understanding of the human psyche.
02:33He may seem civilized if it weren't for the whole cannibalism thing.
02:36Lecter's cultured charm and status in high society allowed him to elude the authorities,
02:41even working with the FBI as a consultant.
02:44As seen at the beginning of Red Dragon, only one suspected Lecter, leading to his imprisonment,
02:50temporarily.
02:51When it comes to Pennywise and Lecter, the less you know, the scarier.
03:09Although we're given a fair deal of information about their origins, there's an unknown element
03:13to Pennywise that makes the clown all the more terrifying.
03:20As such, it takes this round.
03:24Round 2, Dynamics with the Heroes.
03:27Pennywise likes to play with our heroes before striking.
03:30Sometimes it might even strike up a friendly conversation, luring them into a false sense
03:34of security.
03:47The creature will show its true colors sooner than later, however.
03:51Pennywise terrorizes each member of the Losers Club, but the clown's dynamic with Bill Denbrough
03:55feels the most personal, having killed his little brother.
04:04To each self-proclaimed loser, though, Pennywise is the epitome of childhood trauma, which
04:09carries into adulthood.
04:11After defeating Pennywise once, the Losers vow to return if it ever resurfaces.
04:17When that inevitably happens, the wounds of the past are ripped back open, having never
04:21truly healed.
04:38Bill Graham is the FBI agent who initially put Lecter behind bars.
04:57Years later, Graham finds himself stuck between an incarcerated Lecter and another serial
05:01killer, the Tooth Fairy.
05:03To catch one monster, Graham turns to Lecter.
05:06The Doctor walks a fine line between friend and foe, manipulating matters even when locked
05:11up.
05:15The same can be said about his relationship with Clarice Starling, who's tracking down
05:19Buffalo Bill.
05:20Lecter is less threatening toward Clarice.
05:23You might say he's infatuated with her, which is equally creepy.
05:27Following the Doctor's advice, Clarice catches Bill, but Lecter escapes, sending the FBI
05:33agent on another manhunt.
05:44Between these two killers, Lecter's dynamics with the heroes possess deeper layers.
05:49Part of that is because he spends much of the movies talking to them behind glass.
05:53That might not sound scary, but when Hannibal Lecter is doing the talking, every word creeps
05:57up your spine like a spider.
06:06Point Lecter.
06:07Winner, Hannibal Lecter.
06:14If Hannibal and Pennywise give you the creeps, check out Locked from producer Sam Raimi.
06:19Starring Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins, Locked is the ultimate horror thriller, only
06:24in theaters March 21st.
06:32Round 3.
06:33Fear Factor.
06:34In addition to more conventional monsters like zombies, witches, and naturally clowns,
06:39it takes on forms with close ties to victims.
06:54In Bill's case, it's his late brother Georgie, symbolizing the guilt that eats away at him.
06:59To that degree, it mixes psychological dread with the supernatural, making our worst fears
07:04manifest into a physical form.
07:09It needs to frighten and kill to endure.
07:12Based on Pennywise's over-the-top antics though, you also get the sense that it enjoys spreading
07:17misery.
07:18Thus, this isn't just about survival.
07:21The children of Derry are a banquet, and Pennywise is all too happy to feast upon them.
07:31In The Silence of the Lambs, Frederic Chilton describes what Lecter did to a nurse, showing
07:35Clarice a photo.
07:40Although we don't see the picture, Chilton's words and the look on Clarice's face paint
07:44a grisly image in our heads.
07:47The film is a true feat of suspense, largely relying on the power of suggestion.
08:03Lecter might be locked up for much of the story, yet it still feels as if he has a grasp
08:07on everybody in his orbit.
08:09He's a puppet master waiting for the precise moment to strike.
08:13When he does, Lecter lives up to his reputation, proving himself to be equally crafty and grotesque.
08:26The unknown will always be unnerving, but the older we get, the more we fear evil grounded
08:32in reality.
08:33In this case, that's definitely Lecter.
08:35Another point with some fava beans.
08:41As Pennywise, it may lure the innocent with a goofy grin and promises of fun, eventually
08:50leaning in for a bite.
08:58Every scare is an extravagant production, although some might question why Pennywise
09:02takes its time when going straight for the kill seems more practical.
09:05The hunt is just as integral, however.
09:20The longer a potential victim spends marinating in fear, the more gratifying and appetizing
09:25the murder will be.
09:26Pennywise can act through others as well, influencing vulnerable souls like Henry Bowers
09:31to carry out its bidding.
09:35The more people who believe in Pennywise, the more powerful it becomes.
09:40Like Pennywise, Hannibal Lecter brings showmanship to the murders he commits.
09:53Killing isn't enough to satisfy his literal hunger.
09:56He prefers to eat his victims, although he doesn't just gobble up their brains like
10:00some kind of animal.
10:02Lecter will prepare them into a meal that, as much as we hate to admit it, looks appetizing
10:06assuming you don't know the ingredients.
10:11He'll dress formally for the occasion as well.
10:19Even when making an escape with the clock ticking, Lecter relishes in the lives he takes
10:23along the way, decorating the crime scene with their bodies while listening to classical
10:27music.
10:31Although both killers get high marks for presentation, its ability to alter shape opens the door
10:36to more creative possibilities.
10:38That's a point for Pennywise.
10:46Winner – Pennywise
10:50Bill Skarsgård had big clown shoes to fill as Pennywise, following in the footsteps of
10:55Tim Curry.
11:01Whereas Curry's Pennywise leaned more into the clown angle, Skarsgård upped the stairs.
11:05That's not to say Skarsgård's Pennywise is lacking in humor.
11:09The minute the viewer hears that whimsically sinister voice, their instinct is to uncomfortably
11:14laugh in horror.
11:33We can't think of a more fitting sentiment for a killer clown.
11:35Beyond the voice, Skarsgård brings boundless energy to the role, proving emotive even when
11:41hidden under layers of makeup.
11:43Pennywise was already a horror icon, but Skarsgård solidified himself as the definitive dancing
11:48clown.
11:56Just as Skarsgård wasn't the first actor to play Pennywise, Brian Cox portrayed Hannibal
12:00Lecter before Anthony Hopkins sank his teeth into the role.
12:12That said, Hopkins ate up the part, not even leaving a crumb behind.
12:17Hopkins balanced wit, sophistication, and terror as Hannibal the Cannibal, convincingly
12:21going from a well-spoken gentleman to an unhinged madman in an instant.
12:31Although Lecter isn't on screen for long, Hopkins casts a shadow that looms over every
12:36picture he's in.
12:37The shadow has extended to other portrayals of Lecter.
12:41While there have been worthy successors to the role, Hopkins' Oscar-winning performance
12:45remains the one to beat.
12:51Both of these performances have already gone down as two of the scariest in cinema.
12:56However, Hopkins didn't just set a gold standard for Hannibal Lecter.
12:59He raised the bar for movie villains, and few, if any, have come close to leaving the
13:04same impact.
13:05Lecter takes this round for the win.
13:11Winner – Hannibal Lecter
13:13Do you think Pennywise could scar Hannibal Lecter, or vice versa?
13:17Are you looking forward to seeing Skarsgård and Hopkins in Locked?
13:20Let us know in the comments.
13:25This video is brought to you by Locked, starring Bill Skarsgård and Anthony Hopkins in the
13:29ultimate horror-thriller, only in theaters March 21st.
