Overview
A haunting tale of madness and obsession unfolds in a small German town.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- foreboding
- nightmarish
- late night horror viewing
- silent film study
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a landmark of silent cinema and German Expressionism, praising its artistic innovation despite divisions over its theatrical artificiality and framing device.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Painted angular sets, warped streets, exaggerated shadows, and contorted interiors make the world appear physically shaped by madness.
Francis recounts the fairground murders and the pursuit of Caligari through a perspective whose reliability becomes central to the film's interpretation.
Dr. Caligari publicly exhibits and awakens Cesare, linking scientific spectacle, hypnosis, obedience, and violence.
The investigation ultimately leads Francis into a madhouse, making psychiatric authority the final locus of mystery and power.
Films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, and why
Nosferatu
Shared expressionist visual design, psychological horror, unreliable perception, and a claustrophobic atmosphere.
M
Shared German expressionist tradition, gothic horror, stylized sets, and themes of madness and social control.
Mulholland Drive
Shared surreal visual language, dreamlike uncertainty, psychological dread, and unstable reality.
The Phantom of the Opera
Shared gothic horror, sinister authority figures, theatrical stylization, and unsettling black-and-white imagery.
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Wiene
- Release Date
- 1920-02-27
- Runtime
- 77 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (1829)
Cast
- Werner Krauss
- Conrad Veidt
- Friedrich Fehér
- Lil Dagover
- Hans Heinrich von Twardowski
- Rudolf Lettinger
- Henri Peters-Arnolds
- Rudolf Klein-Rogge
- Hans Lanser-Rudolf
- Ludwig Rex
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Philo, Shudder, Fandor Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, Eternal Family, Shudder Apple TV channel, Kino Film Collection, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Bloodstream, Artiflix, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- 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 The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari about?
- A fairground prophecy, a murdered friend, and a sinister hypnotist draw a young man into a nightmare where madness may control both the story and its world.
- What is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a landmark of silent cinema and German Expressionism, praising its artistic innovation despite divisions over its theatrical artificiality and framing device.
- Which films are like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari?
- Films with a similar feel include Nosferatu, M, Mulholland Drive, and The Phantom of the Opera.
- How long is The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari?
- The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari runs 77 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari?
- In United States, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari streams on fuboTV, Philo, Shudder, Fandor Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, Eternal Family, Shudder Apple TV channel, Kino Film Collection, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Bloodstream, Artiflix, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
