The Unknown

The Unknown (1927)

  • 100% of critics liked it
    (6 reviews)

  • 89% of users liked it
    (1,772 ratings)

As a group, the silent-movie collaborations between director Tod Browning and star Lon Chaney hardly represent the best work of either man, though each film definitely has its moments. One of the best, and weirdest, of the batch is The Unknown. Chaney plays a carnival performer known as the… More

Unrated,
Directed By
Written By
Tod Browning, Waldemar Young
Genres
Drama, Horror, Romance, Mystery & Suspense, Classics
In Theaters
Jun 4, 1927 Wide

Critic Reviews

  • Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

    Tod Browning's rousing, cruel joke on the mutilated artiste and the frigid muse

  • Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

    It may not be Browning's best silent film, but it is certainly his most fascinatingly perverse -- and that's saying something in the world of Tod Browning.

  • Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid

    [An] astonishing masterpiece.

  • Michael W. Phillips, Jr., Goatdog's Movies

    Not a second of its brief 50-minute running time is wasted.

  • Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    It was the last of the great silent films, as just 4 months later the first talkie opened: The Jazz Singer.

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • AJ V


    A brilliant love story, I loved it, I just wish it were a bit longer, but other than that, it's perfect. It's a love story about obsession, lies, and murder. And the climactic scene towards the end was riveting. And Lon Cheney is fantastic as a 'one armed' man.… More

  • Stella D


    wow. tod browning was one twisted fuck. this is like a precursor to freaks, with joan crawford when she was still cute and a standout performance by lon chaney. one of the stranger films you'll ever see

  • Stephen M


    <I>"I did what you told me, Alonzo. I took her in my arms."</I> Okay, no need to rub it in, Malabar! Hmm, how can I describe this one without spoiling the plot? Leaving out the twisted elements, which quite honestly have to be seen to be believed, it's a… More

  • Sylvester K


    It's a deadly and yet beautiful love triangle. Lon Chaney was stunning with his performance inside and outside the screen, I loved every single minute of this film. Circus certainly has been Browning's favourite theme.

  • Lauren D


    It was odd. I liked the story, and it was interesting, but it was a bit boring.

Read all 7 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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