not horrible nor great

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Although he is generally associated with fantastic horror films and the super-natural, cult icon, Boris Karloff, made quite a few straight thrillers in the Tod Slaughter horror tradition, the best of which is undoubtedly 1935's moody "The Black Room", in which Karloff most skilfully portrays twin brothers, one evil, one good. Directed with considerable imagination by Roy William Neill, and produced on a remarkably lavish budget, the movie's only slight demerit lies in the weak performance by the nominal hero, Robert Allen, whose part, fortunately, is surprisingly small.All told, "The Black Room" is Boris Karloff's film, and he makes the most of his many opportunities to excel.

Confined but effective Gothic Tale of Twin Brothers (of course one Good one Evil) was a refreshing and rewarding experience for the wanting to expand His Roles, Boris Karloff. This is a very good looking and atmospheric Movie that is supremely played out by Karloff and the Film as a whole is a gem of its kind.More Period Melodrama than Horror this one is often touted as one of Karloff's best outings and he delivers an interesting and insightful foreground to the semi-lavish proceedings. There is an air of Dread throughout and it is all played quite convincingly and some of the Sets are delightfully twisted and ominous.This is a Mid-Thirties Movie and it has that Studio look that can work well when handled well, and here the Director and Cast give this a much better appearance than the budget would allow. Definitely worth a look for Fans of Karloff, early, creepy Hollywood, and Gothic proceedings.

Karloff plays a dual role here as twin brothers, the oldest of which is heir to the family fortune and lands. The children's' father fears the old prophesy that as the family began, so will it end, and it began with a younger jealous twin killing the older twin. This is what he fears will happen again since the younger twin inherits none of the lands that the older one does. Furthermore, the younger twin's right arm is paralyzed, giving the younger twin even more reason for bitterness and ultimately jealousy and murder. The prophesy also says that the murder will occur in the "Black Room" just as before. A family friend states the obvious - seal off the black room so that it cannot be used and thus the murder will never happen. The father does that, and erroneously rests easy.Well, history doesn't exactly repeat itself. The older twin, Gregor turns out to be evil, and the younger twin, Anton, though disabled and without property of his own, is a good and generous soul. Gregor invites Anton home to "help him" - which, unknown to Anton, is actually part of a devilish escape plot by Gregor whose subjects are boiling over with rage from all of the women who have gone missing in the castle over the years. Both brothers take a fancy to the daughter of Colonel Hassle, Thea (Marian Marsh), though Thea actually loves a soldier. Thea is quite uneasy with the affections of Gregor, given his polite but menacing demeanor and all of those rumors about missing girls. So how can Gregor manage to both get the girl and get away from the angry villagers? Watch and find out. The plot is extremely clever and ironic, Karloff's acting is superb with his roles seemingly tailor made for him, and the supporting players are very good, but there really isn't much atmosphere in this one to the point that it is really difficult to classify it as horror. Its strength is in its screenplay and in Karloff's performance, not its visuals. Still, I'd recommend this one.

This film is competently directed and photographed, yet it is not noteworthy from either point of view. The story, concerning human compassion versus cruelty, and the cold, merciless workings of fate, is clever and interesting, all the more so since it does not linger too long and overstay its welcome...this film clocks in at 1 hour and change.By Columbia Pictures standards, this film is almost opulent, having several sets and a number of outdoor shots, and having good actors, costumes, technicians and atmosphere all around. But, since it is a Columbia Picture, central Europe looks amazingly like Southern California. Still, it proves that Universal did not have a monopoly on horror in the 1930's.This is not a supernatural film, except perhaps in the fact that it deals with the subjects of prophecy and fate...it is instead a psychological horror film and so it helps to have the right set of expectations going in. In a way, this film is a kind of precursor to the ambiguous metaphysics and psychological themes of the 1940's Val Lewton horror/noir classics.What makes this film stand out is Karloff's brilliant performance in the double role of twin brothers, one evil and one good. Karloff is completely convincing in both parts, and it is a genuine pleasure to watch him. It is also striking that even without monster make-up Karloff can scare the pants off you, when he chooses.Modern horror fans are liable to have trouble accessing this film, but it is recommended to fans of classic horror and classic film in general.