20's

Nosferatu (1922) is a landmark German Expressionist silent horror film directed by F.W. Murnau. It's an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, reimagining the vampire as the bald, rat-like Count Orlok, played by Max Schreck. ​ Plot Overview Real estate agent Thomas Hutter travels to Count Orlok's remote Transylvanian castle to finalize a property deal in Wisborg. Orlok becomes obsessed with Hutter's wife Ellen after seeing her photo, loading coffins of plague-ridden earth onto a ship to follow him home, spreading death along the way. Ellen ultimately sacrifices herself to lure Orlok until sunrise, destroying him in a burst of sunlight—a key innovation for vampire lore. Key Impact The film's eerie shadow play, grotesque visuals, and iconic ship sequence (with rats pouring from coffins) set horror standards, influencing countless vampire tales despite legal efforts to destroy all prints. Max Schreck's inhuman Orlok remains one of cinema's scariest monsters.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) is a landmark German Expressionist silent horror film directed by Robert Wiene. It follows a hypnotist, Dr. Caligari, who controls a somnambulist named Cesare to commit murders in a distorted, nightmarish town. ​ Plot Summary Narrator Francis recounts eerie events at a fair where Caligari exhibits Cesare, who predicts his friend Alan's death—fulfilled by morning. As murders mount, Francis investigates, uncovering Caligari's dark command over Cesare, leading to a chase and shocking twist revealing the story's frame. Style and Impact The film's jagged sets, stark shadows, and stylized visuals evoke madness, pioneering horror cinema with psychological depth and an early twist ending.