The Black Room Review: Boris Karloff is Having Way Too Much Fun

If you want to spend an hour watching Boris Karloff have a total blast playing two completely different guys, yes, The Black Room is absolutely worth your time tonight. Gothic nerds will love the creepy castle vibes, but if you can't stand old-school 1930s melodrama where people gasp out loud, you should probably skip it.

It is a super quick watch, barely running over an hour. You get double the Karloff, which is always a win in my book.

He plays twin barons: Gregor, who is a complete psychopath, and Anton, who is a sweet guy with a paralyzed arm. There is this ancient family prophecy that says the younger twin will kill the older one in the family's secret "black room."

Naturally, Gregor decides the best way to handle this is to murder his brother and take his place.

The way Karloff plays the swap is just brilliant. He has to pretend to be the nice brother, but he occasionally lets this nasty, smug smirk slip when nobody is looking.

There is this one hilarious scene where Gregor is trying to mimic Anton's paralyzed arm. He keeps forgetting which arm it is for a split second, and you can see him panic.

I also loved the dog, who is literally credited as "Von the Dog." 🐕 He is the only one who doesn't buy Gregor's disguise and just growls at him constantly.

Honestly, the dog gives a more believable performance than half the townspeople.

The castle itself feels like a character, with its ridiculous secret passages and that creepy, pitch-black pit in the middle of the floor. It has that dusty, old-world European atmosphere that you sometimes see in weird old dramas like Dommens dag, but with way more stabbing.

Some of the romance stuff with Marian Marsh and the young lieutenant is pretty boring, to be honest. I found myself waiting for Karloff to get back on screen and start plotting again.

There is a weirdly long scene where they are just toast-drinking at a banquet. It feels like the director just let the camera run because they had extra wine.

But then we get back to the good stuff, like Gregor trying to play the harp with only one hand to prove he is Anton. It is so tense and goofy at the same time.

The ending is incredibly sudden. Like, the prophecy gets fulfilled in the most literal, almost accidental way possible, and then the movie just ends.

I sat there for a second like, "Wait, is that really it?" But honestly, I kind of respect how it doesn't waste any time.

If you want some cozy, slightly silly gothic horror for a rainy Sunday, this is a hidden gem. Just don't expect a masterpiece.

Here are a few random things I scribbled in my notes while watching:

• That massive fireplace looks big enough to roast a whole horse.
• The townspeople have these incredibly fake-looking Tyrolean hats.
• Gregor’s evil laugh is so good it should be illegal.
• Shoutout to Von the Dog for being a very good boy.