Hannibal is a show that can hold the throne to psychological horror in the world of television in more recent years; there's very little competition that pertains in such consistency and depth, and while I didn't always enjoy it, I admired its pacing, direction, and cast.
It's safe to say that Mads Mikkelsen is one of the best casting options when it comes to creating a villain that isn't just terrifying through their actions, but also in their general aura and looks. Mikkelsen has the ability to really create a character that gives off a very sinister feel simply through his body language alone. He is the very pillar of Hannibal's success as this psychiatrist that knows too much, and is far too smart to be considered a suspect despite his very obvious manipulations. That's exactly what Hannibal's character is about: manipulation.
Sadly, I felt as if Hannibal himself had a small amount of screen time, and the show focused a little too much on psychological horror, which I felt got a little bit boring as the show progressed; new characters were introduced with various mental instabilities, for example: there is an episode on a killer that happens to have a brain tumour, people he sees have a constant fire burning around their heads. Another episode focused on a woman with an infection, that could not see faces. It just felt like the show was pushing a bit too far away from its Hannibal pillar and into this weird fantasy world and we were following the FBI as they attempt to stop such fantasies from harming others.
I noticed the show had many moments that really intrigued me, although it was mostly just character interactions, when Hannibal was very clearly manipulating, or straight up lying to someone in order to ensure he remains free of any suspicion regarding crimes he definitely had something to do with. I'd say it's well worth the watch for those moments, and perhaps just pay half attention when the show is trying to make you feel uneasy with its more modern horror-like elements, if they aren't really your thing.
