Das schwarze Zimmer (1935): Besetzung, Handlung & Streaming

Released in 1935, Das schwarze Zimmer is a thriller, drama, krimi and horror film directed by Roy William Neill, running about 70 minutes. “Dead or Alive... He could kill!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. In a 16th-century European town, the ruling family has been given a prophecy that, should there ever be twin boys born, the younger will murder the older; so is dismayed when twins are born to the popular baron. The older grows to be a selfish, slovenly man, who inherits the castle at his father's death and becomes ruler over the formerly happy villagers. He enjoys his power until he learns his younger brother is returning from abroad and, afraid of the prophecy, he determines to murder his sibling, hide his body in the "black room" - an old torture chamber sealed away behind the fireplace - and then impersonate him, right down to his withered arm. In this way he hopes to not only avoid the prophecy, but also escape consequences of his other criminal deeds and obtain marriage to a local girl of the nobility...

Who’s in it. Das schwarze Zimmer stars Boris Karloff as Baron Gregor de Berghman / Anton de Berghman, Marian Marsh as Thea Hassel, Robert Allen as Lt. Albert Lussan and Thurston Hall as Col. Paul Hassel, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.4/10, Das schwarze Zimmer has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In USA you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Das schwarze Zimmer page.

If you liked it. Fans of Das schwarze Zimmer tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction, Parasite and Fight Club.