Overview
A tale of obsession and madness unfolds in the shadowy streets of Paris.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- eerie
- foreboding
- claustrophobic
- classic horror marathon
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a chilling, atmospheric pre-code horror classic elevated by Peter Lorre’s performance and its macabre surgical premise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Gogol's surgery on Stephen's hands is motivated by his fixation on Yvonne, turning medical expertise into a means of domination.
The horror theatre, execution imagery, knife-throwing associations, and sensational grafting premise create a distinctly theatrical macabre register.
Stephen's new hands belong to executed murderer Rollo, making bodily transformation inseparable from fears of inherited criminality.
Karl Freund's direction and the mad-surgeon premise place psychological obsession within the stylized visual lineage of German expressionist horror.
Films like Mad Love, and why
The Hands of Orlac
shared pre-code horror atmosphere, obsessive mad-doctor figure, and grotesque body-transformation premise
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
shared expressionistic visuals, psychological horror, and charismatic scientist consumed by obsession
Frankenstein
shared gothic romance, scientific transgression, and tragic identity anxiety
The Black Cat
shared grand guignol horror, stylized menace, and disturbing medical experimentation
Movie Details
- Director
- Karl Freund
- Release Date
- 1935-07-12
- Runtime
- 68 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (126)
Cast
- Peter Lorre
- Frances Drake
- Colin Clive
- Ted Healy
- Isabel Jewell
- Sara Haden
- Edward Brophy
- Henry Kolker
- Keye Luke
- May Beatty
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Mad Love about?
- A brilliant surgeon’s forbidden obsession turns a pianist’s life-saving hand transplant into a nightmare of bodily contamination and murderous compulsion.
- What is Mad Love like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mad Love as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Mad Love violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Mad Love as graphic.
- What did critics think of Mad Love?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a chilling, atmospheric pre-code horror classic elevated by Peter Lorre’s performance and its macabre surgical premise.
- Which films are like Mad Love?
- Films with a similar feel include The Hands of Orlac, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Frankenstein, and The Black Cat.
- How long is Mad Love?
- Mad Love runs 68 minutes.
- Where can I watch Mad Love?
- In United States, Mad Love is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home.
