Nosferatu (Silent German Expressionist Horror, 1922)

Set in 1838, Nosferatu follows Thomas Hutter, a clerk in the fictional German town of Wisborg, sent by his employer, Knock, to Transylvania to finalize a real estate deal with the mysterious Count Orlok. Hutter discovers Orlok is a vampire who feeds on blood and spreads plague. Orlok becomes obsessed with Hutter’s wife, Ellen, and travels to Wisborg via ship, bringing death and disease. Hutter races to save Ellen, who learns from an occult book that a pure-hearted woman can destroy the vampire by keeping him engaged until dawn. Ellen sacrifices herself, luring Orlok to feed on her until sunrise, when he disintegrates in sunlight, ending his reign of terror.
Cast
Max Schreck as Count Orlok: His gaunt, rat-like appearance and haunting performance made Orlok an enduring horror icon.

Gustav von Wangenheim as Thomas Hutter: The naive clerk who encounters Orlok.

Greta Schröder as Ellen Hutter: Hutter’s wife, whose sacrifice defeats the vampire.

Alexander Granach as Knock: Hutter’s sinister, Renfield-like employer, enthralled by Orlok.

Georg H. Schnell as Harding: A friend of Hutter’s.

Ruth Landshoff as Ruth: Harding’s sister.

John Gottowt as Professor Bulwer: A Van Helsing-like scholar.

Nosferatu remains a chilling masterpiece, blending folklore, psychological horror, and visual innovation.

Nosferatu remains a chilling masterpiece, blending folklore, psychological horror, and visual innovation.