Nosferatu 1922

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.
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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.