Waxworks
1924 · Movie · NR · 83 min · ★ 6.4
A writer is hired at a carnival wax museum to invent thrilling tales for three infamous figures on display. As he writes, he and the owner’s daughter imagine themselves inside the shifting stories, moving from playful fantasy to darker, dreamlike danger.
Where to watch
Not currently available to stream in the US.
1 hour to watch.
Not currently available to stream, rent, or buy in the US.
Streaming availability and prices may be inaccurate or change — verify with the provider before subscribing.
unSUB's subscription recommendations are informational only, not financial advice.
More value for your money
Similar titles, ranked by watch-hours per subscription dollar.
Details
- Original title
- Das Wachsfigurenkabinett
- Years
- 1924
- Release date
- 1924-11-13
- Language
- German
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 83 min
- TMDB rating
- 6.4/10 (71 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a silent-era anthology that shifts between playful fantasy and unsettling dread, with a stylized, dreamlike mood; Not for you if you need consistent pacing or straightforward horror like Nosferatu.
Pros: inventive anthology setup; striking eerie atmosphere; memorable villain portraits | Cons: uneven tone; slow, dragging stretches; final segment too brief
Themes
- insanity
- jack the ripper
- anthology
- wax museum
- torture chamber
- psychotronic
- expressionism
- german expressionism
Cast & crew
Emil Jannings
as Harun al Raschid
Conrad Veidt
as Ivan the Terrible
William Dieterle
as The Poet / Assad the Baker / Russian Prince
Werner Krauss
as Jack the Ripper / Spring-Heeled Jack
Olga Belajeff
as Eva-Maimune-Eine Bojarin
John Gottowt
as Owner of the Waxworks
Georg John
as Owner of the Panoptikums
Ernst Legal
as Poison-Maker of the Czar
Paul Biensfeldt
as Grand Vizier
Directed by Leo Birinski, Paul Leni