Fritz Lang's frightening futuristic vision ranks among the all-time greats. In a dystopian future, the world is divided between the upper-class thinkers and the lower-class workers.
This bizzaro World War II-era spy film-cum-atmospheric horror movie is a real curiosity. Bela Lugosi portrays the mastermind who trains Japanese saboteurs to replace American industrialists.
The mad scientist meets the Western, complete with white-hatted hero. A scientist's radium-tube invention is used by robbers to crash and plunder mail planes until the scientist's daughter and an FBI agent ride in to save the day.
"Only Hell could breed such an enormous beast. Only God could destroy it!" reads the tagline. Get ready for an allegory in which desert barn-dancers meet a scaly end for their wicked, wicked ways.
Every time you see a chilling movie that challenges you to guess what really happened, thank Robert Wiene, director of this near-perfect horror flick about murder, insanity and creepy uncertainty.