20 best badass women of horror movies
9. Clarice Starling (The Silence of the Lambs)
Even as a newbie investigator for the FBI, trainee Clarice M. Starling (Jodie Foster) has to deal with some serious stuff. In between all of the studying and exercising required of anyone in the FBI Academy, she’s been recruited by mentor Jack Crawford to delve right into a serial killer case.
Essentially, “Buffalo Bill” is an active serial killer who has been murdering young women for years. The FBI is desperate to find new information in order to catch Buffalo Bill. This means that they’re desperate enough to follow up even the strangest leads, including Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Dr. Lecter is a former psychiatrist who was known both for his brilliant clinical work and taste for human flesh. The FBI is hoping that the menacing, shark-like Lecter will be able to provide insight into Buffalo Bill’s motivations.
So, who better to interview the odd and frightening Hannibal Lecter than a trainee? Still, it’s hard to Clarice to turn down such an opportunity. She gamely heads on down to the mental institution housing Lecter. He agrees to help her, but only in exchange for deeply personal information concerning her childhood and father’s death.
The ambitious Clarice agrees, and she’s soon on track to finding the killer. However, her emotional integrity and mental acumen aren’t the only things earning Starling’s place on this list. She eventually has to face Buffalo Bill himself, even descending into his basement lair to save a senator’s daughter from his clutches.
As the film progresses, it becomes clear that she has even earned the respect of Dr. Lecter. Plenty creepy when you think about it, but it’s probably better to be on good terms with him than not.