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Thomas Harris

Thomas Harris

Writer · Born September 22, 1940 (86) · Jackson, Tennessee, USA

Writers Guild Award nominee

William Thomas Harris III (born September 22, 1940) is an American writer. He is the author of a series of suspense novels about Hannibal Lecter. The majority of his works have been adapted into films and television, including The Silence of the Lambs, which became only the third film in Academy Awards history to sweep the Oscars in all of the five major categories.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 22, 1940 (86)
From
Jackson, Tennessee, USA
Works as
Writer
Titles
9 on MovieCove
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

What are Thomas Harris' films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Crime4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 56th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
38%
Survival
26%
Self
22%
Ideas
7%
Bonds
3%
Power
3%
Justice4 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma4 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 0 · Dark 7

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 4 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 1

Intense: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their intense movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 0 · Intense 7

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 0 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 2 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

Full focus: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their full focus movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 0 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 6

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 5

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

A split, not a type: Resolved 3 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Dread
7
Melancholic
2
Thrilling
2
Cold
1
Other
1

How their films linger

Unsettling7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet3
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Thomas Harris' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 9 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Thomas Harris' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

9 credits, 9 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Clarice(2021)

    Show 13 episodes · Characters

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Hannibal(2013)

    Show 39 episodes · Characters

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Hannibal Rising(2007)

    Novel · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Red Dragon(2002)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Hannibal(2001)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Sangharsh(1999)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Silence of the Lambs(1991)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Manhunter(1986)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Black Sunday(1977)

    Novel

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 8 titles from 1977 to 2021.

Biggest box office

Hannibal (2001)

$352M worldwide

Highest rated

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Midcredits 99th

By role

only this rolewith another role
Writing8 of 8: 8 only writing, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score80th

By decade

1970s1 · crew1980s1 · crew1990s1 · crew2000s3 · crew2010s1 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

Nominated for a Writers Guild Award in 2003, News - Regularly Scheduled, Bulletin or Breaking Report.

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Thomas Harris' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 72nd percentile, the median of all 7; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 70th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

88thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 9 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th2

Shape of the crowd

5 of their 9 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · writer

Clarice (2021)

50th percentile spread · 15% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Midcredits 99th · 95% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 58/100 and the plot and story 57/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Thomas Harris' work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles81–94 · median 88 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles23–58 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity6 titles43–66 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs6 titles14–46 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles67–95 · median 89 · severeheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Thomas Harris work with?

People who share at least 2 of Thomas Harris' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Dino De Laurentiis shares the most, 4.

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers