October 2025

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
1920, Germany, dir. Robert Wiene, 77 mins


NOTES:

Originally written for the Perverts newsletter 10/07/25

Robert Wiene's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) is a definitive piece of early German expressionist cinema, and widely considered to be one of the first true horror films. In keeping with Seconds’ cerebral themes of medical horror, Wiene presents a silent-era tale of a hypnotist who manipulates his sleepwalking patient into committing murders on his behalf.

We hope you'll join us for this anti-immediatist horror experience.

FURTHER READING:

Tales of cinema: German expressionism
The Cinema of Weimar Germany
On The Origins of German Expressionist Cinema