5 must-see classic Halloween films you have to watch before the 31st

Nosferatu (1922)

German director F.W. Murnau’s landmark silent vampire feature, Nosferatu, predates Universal’s take by nearly a decade. Where Bela Lugosi represented the suave (at the time) iteration of Bram Stoker’s neck-biting baddie, Murnau went a decidedly different route. In 1922, the Stoker estate refused to let go of the rights to the character, leaving Murnau to create a vampire story that’s Dracula in all but name.

In this case, the film follows the frightening Count Orlok (Max Schreck) who is out to feast on the bride of his companion, Thomas Hutter (Gustav von Wangenheim).

Unlike Lugosi, Schreck’s interpretation was decidedly more batlike. Gone is the romanticism or idealization of the character, and in its place is a bizarre, rat-like creature that led to the myth that Schreck himself was truly a vampire. (The 2000 drama Shadow of the Vampire tells this story in a unique way and is also worth your time.) The silent film aesthetic also lends an eerie look to things. So while it isn’t Lugosi opining about “children of the night,” this is the granddaddy of vampire features and deserves your time and respect.

How to watch: You can stream it now on Amazon Prime.