The Black Room (1935): cast, story & where to watch
1935 · Film · ★ 6.4
Released in 1935, The Black Room is a thriller, drama, crime 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. The Black Room 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, The Black Room has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.
Where to watch. In US 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 The Black Room page.
If you liked it. Fans of The Black Room tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, Pulp Fiction, Parasite and Fight Club.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The Black Room (1935)?
- In US, The Black Room is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The Black Room worth watching?
- The Black Room holds an audience score of 6.4 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy thriller, drama, crime and horror. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in The Black Room?
- The Black Room stars Boris Karloff, Marian Marsh, Robert Allen, Thurston Hall and Katherine DeMille.
- When was The Black Room released?
- The Black Room was released in 1935, with a runtime of about 70 minutes.