8 Horror Movies Where The Killer Was Meant To Be Someone Else
2. The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari - The Director
1920's The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is not only one of the first genuine cult films of cinema, it's also one of the first truly 'great' films to be committed to the silver screen.
From director Robert Wiene and writers Carl Meyer and Hans Janowitz, this silent horror picture is as influential a piece of film as you'll find. To this day, the themes, visual and grander meaning of the movie are a hot topic of debate - and a part of that is down to the twist ending that closes the horror out.
On the surface, this picture sees Francis investigating a slew of murders that he believes are being ordered by the titular Dr. Caligari. The head of a travelling fair, the belief is that Caligari is getting a somnambulist called Cesare to unwillingly carry out murders for him.
After Francis learns that Caligari is actually a director at an insane asylum, he leads the police to that locale as the villain of the piece is placed in a straitjacket. However, this is all revealed to be a ruse, the entire tale a figment of Francis' imagination - with our protagonist actually a delusional inmate of this asylum, who had dreamt up this narrative to position himself as a hero.
Originally, though, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari didn't have that end twist. Instead, the director character had indeed been responsible for orchestrating these killings by subliminally influencing Cesare.