“Red Dragon” is a book that was written by Thomas Harris and originally published in 1981. It is a psychological horror story that follows the journey of an FBI agent, Will Graham, who catches serial killers. This book was followed by three others, including “Silence of the Lambs,” which was quickly made into a film adaptation and is now regarded as a cult classic.
The “Red Dragon” movie was made in 2002, about twenty years after the book was originally published. Even though the movie shows some important plot events out of order, many of the same small details from the book were kept in the film adaptation.
Although the movie does not go into as much detail on the main villain’s background, it does not take away from the intricate storytelling. The film really captures the essence of what the author intended with storytelling, especially when it comes to the development of the plotlines between the main character and the main villain.
Overall, I enjoy the movie better than the book. The “Red Dragon” book is very compact with information and is a rather long read. I feel that the movie conveys the story in a more digestible way to audiences without taking away from the original. Along with this, the movie has actors that I like.
I would recommend this story to anyone who is interested in thrillers. Between the books, movies and even a spin-off TV series called “Hannibal,” this franchise is very diverse and would appeal to a wide range of people. Both the book and the movie can be purchased off Amazon.