Horror enthusiasts across the UK are flocking to Amazon Prime Video to devour a long-awaited television continuation of a cinematic legend. The CBS procedural series Clarice, a direct spin-off from the 1991 masterpiece The Silence of the Lambs, has landed on the streaming platform and is rapidly shooting up the popularity charts.
A Fresh Case for Clarice Starling
The 13-episode series, which first aired in 2021, picks up the story of FBI agent Clarice Starling one year after the terrifying events of the original film. This time, the role is portrayed by Australian actor Rebecca Breeds, stepping into the shoes once filled by Jodie Foster. The narrative follows Starling as she returns to the demanding, male-dominated world of the FBI, grappling with the psychological scars of her past while pursuing new serial killers.
Its arrival on Amazon Prime has introduced the show to a substantial new audience. In the UK, Clarice has already secured a spot in the platform's top 10, reaching number five and continuing to climb. This resurgence in interest is a testament to the enduring cultural power of its source material, a film that swept the Oscars and is still frequently cited as one of the greatest horror movies ever made.
Critical Reception: Praise and Reservations
The series itself garnered a mixed response upon its initial release, reflected in its 58% critics score on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. Several prominent outlets found merit in the production. The Guardian awarded it four stars, noting, "Clarice is not going to rival the film that spawned it but on its own, low-stakes terms, it’s a damn sight better than expected."
IGN Movies praised its "creepy, suspenseful, and well-executed" nature, calling it a "worthy world to investigate the origins of Clarice Starling." Meanwhile, Variety highlighted the "curiosity, confidence, and craft" behind the show.
However, not all feedback was positive. Some critics and viewers felt the procedural format was a poor fit for the richly psychological universe established by the film. User reviews on sites like IMDb criticised "disjointed" storylines and "unnecessary" subplots, with one viewer claiming it "fails at every hurdle." The divide in opinion means fans will ultimately have to judge for themselves whether the series stands up to comparison or works better as a standalone thriller.
A One-Season Story and Star's Personal Journey
Viewers who do enjoy the series should note that Clarice comprises only a single season; no further episodes were commissioned. In a past interview with Dazed, lead actor Rebecca Breeds revealed her initially tentative approach to the iconic source material. "The film is so iconic but I was too afraid to watch it! I’m not a scary movie kind of gal," she confessed.
She described finally watching it with her father, feeling both terrified and enthralled. "I loved that it was so intelligent. It’s the film that taught me the difference between a shock-horror film and a psychological thriller," Breeds said. On tackling the role, she added, "I wanted to look at trauma truthfully... But the other part of me was champing at the bit to dive into this."
Clarice is available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video in the UK.
