The Silence of the Lambs Buffalo Bill was a Composite of Three Notorious Killers
One of the most unsettling villains in film history, "Buffalo Bill" borrowed different traits from three infamous killers
Story
Adapted from the novel of the same name, the Oscar-winning film The Silence of the Lambs was directed by Jonathan Derne and written by Ted Tally, and upon the film's release in 1991, it chilled and disturbed viewers worldwide.
The premise of the film revolves around a young FBI agent (Jodie Foster) who is tasked with hunting a violent serial killer nicknamed “Buffalo Bill” (Ted Levine). To do this, she enlists the help of imprisoned killer Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to build a profile on the elusive serial killer.
Buffalo Bill targets “larger” women, keeping them imprisoned and depriving them of food. Once their skin begins to come loose due to accelerated fat loss, he kills them, usually by strangulation, before removing their skin to create a skinsuit.