'' The Silence of the Lambs '' was released on February 14 , 1991 , and grossed $ 272.7 million worldwide against its $ 19 million budget , becoming the fifth-highest grossing film of 1991 worldwide . The film premiered at the 41st Berlin International Film Festival , where it competed for the Golden Bear , while Demme received the Silver Bear for Best Director . Critically acclaimed upon release , it became only the third film , ( the other two being '' It Happened One Night '' and '' One Flew Over the Cuckoo 's Nest '' ) , to win Academy Awards in all the top five categories : Best Picture , Best Director , Best Actor , Best Actress , and Best Adapted Screenplay . It is also the first ( and so far only ) Best Picture winner widely considered to be a horror film , and one of only four such films to be nominated in the category , along with '' The Exorcist '' ( 1973 ) , '' Jaws '' ( 1975 ) , and '' Get Out '' ( 2017 )
Academy Awards
64th Academy Awards
The Silence of the Lambs (film)