Overview
A chilling tale unfolds in a remote Hungarian mansion where danger lurks at every turn.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- hypnotic
- macabre
- classic horror night
- halloween viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a creepy, atmospheric early Universal classic whose bizarre imagery and Karloff-Lugosi pairing outweigh its irrational story.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Poelzig's fortress-like home, spiral staircase, stark modernist interiors, and black-and-white imagery create an aggressively stylized nightmare environment.
Verdegast returns after fifteen years as a prisoner of war and is forced into a deadly confrontation with Poelzig over their shared past.
The storm, ruined battlefield home, cat phobia, black mass, torture, and chess wager unfold with bizarre, hypnotic unreality.
Poelzig and Verdegast play chess with Peter Allison's life at stake, converting revenge into a ritualized contest.
Films like The Black Cat, and why
The Raven
gothic horror atmosphere, macabre imagery, and iconic monster-star pairing
The Old Dark House
expressionistic production design, psychological menace, and early Universal horror tradition
Dracula
black-and-white gothic horror, sinister mansion setting, and supernatural dread
The Devil-Doll
stylized horror, decadent atmosphere, and uncanny aristocratic villainy
Movie Details
- Director
- Edgar G. Ulmer
- Release Date
- 1934-05-07
- Runtime
- 65 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (313)
Cast
- Boris Karloff
- Bela Lugosi
- David Manners
- Julie Bishop
- Egon Brecher
- Harry Cording
- Lucille Lund
- Henry Armetta
- Albert Conti
- John Carradine
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Black Cat about?
- A honeymoon detour into a stormbound Hungarian fortress exposes a wartime vendetta between two haunted men in a feverish Universal nightmare.
- What is The Black Cat like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Black Cat as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Black Cat violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Black Cat as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Black Cat?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a creepy, atmospheric early Universal classic whose bizarre imagery and Karloff-Lugosi pairing outweigh its irrational story.
- Which films are like The Black Cat?
- Films with a similar feel include The Raven, The Old Dark House, Dracula, and The Devil-Doll.
- How long is The Black Cat?
- The Black Cat runs 65 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Black Cat?
- In United States, The Black Cat is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
