Dr. Mabuse Movies: Release Order
The Dr. Mabuse series spans nearly seven decades of German cinema, beginning with Fritz Lang's groundbreaking silent epic and evolving through multiple incarnations of the criminal mastermind. The character represents a symbol of psychological manipulation and societal chaos, adapting to different eras while maintaining his core identity as the ultimate supervillain.
This watch order includes Lang's three films (1922-1960), the popular 1960s sequel series that featured recurring characters like Inspector Kras, and later spiritual successors from 1972 and 1990. The franchise intentionally employs loose continuity with symbolic retcons, as Mabuse often dies and returns through possession or rebirth, making him more of a recurring threat than a consistent character.
There are 2 other watch orders available – see the links up above.
Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler
Criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse uses disguises and psychological manipulation to execute elaborate schemes involving stock market fraud and rigged gambling. When Police Commissioner von Wenk begins investigating the mysterious crime spree, he faces a formidable opponent in this early silent thriller.
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
A detective discovers that the imprisoned criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse is somehow orchestrating a new wave of crimes from his asylum cell. Commissioner Lohmann must uncover how the hypnotic genius is communicating with criminals on the outside and stop his reign of terror once and for all.
The Thousand Eyes of Dr. Mabuse
A reporter's murder sets off a mysterious investigation involving a clairvoyant who witnessed the crime in a vision, but dark forces prevent him from identifying the killer in this classic thriller featuring the return of the notorious Dr. Mabuse.
The Return of Dr. Mabuse
The supposedly dead criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse returns to his sinister activities while Police Inspector Lohmann teams up with a determined reporter and a mysterious American to investigate a series of murders connected to a maximum security prison.
The Invisible Dr. Mabuse
FBI agent Joe Como investigates strange occurrences at a revue theatre where a dancer is being stalked by an invisible admirer and a dead agent is discovered. Como soon realizes that the infamous criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse is behind the mysterious events surrounding a secretive transport company.
The Terror of Doctor Mabuse
When a series of mysterious crimes begins occurring while the notorious criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse remains locked in an insane asylum, a detective must visit the imprisoned madman to uncover clues to the baffling robberies.
Dr. Mabuse vs. Scotland Yard
The malevolent spirit of criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse possesses a renowned professor, using his new host to launch a terrifying crime spree across the city.
The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse
The evil criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse develops a powerful death ray weapon and uses it to threaten the world.
The Vengeance of Dr. Mabuse
The infamous criminal mastermind Dr. Mabuse steals from a National Research Institute to build his evil mind-control ray, while police desperately hunt him and his monstrous accomplice.
Dr. M
In near-future Berlin, a detective investigates a wave of mysterious suicides that leads him to an enigmatic woman and a sinister conspiracy involving mass hypnosis.
Other Film Series
Bryan Edgar Wallace
A series of German crime thrillers produced by CCC Filmkunst in the 1960s-70s, marketed under the name of Edgar Wallace's son Bryan, featuring standalone mysteries with gothic atmosphere and masked killers.
Edgar Wallace
German crime thriller series from 1959-1972 that created a distinctive subgenre of atmospheric gothic mysteries, featuring recurring cast and iconic villains.
Hercule Poirot
Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective has been adapted across multiple eras, from early talkies to modern star-studded ensembles.
Philip Marlowe
Film adaptations spanning eight decades featuring Raymond Chandler's iconic private detective Philip Marlowe, with different actors and interpretations across multiple eras.
Saw
A horror franchise centered on the elaborate death traps and moral philosophy of serial killer John Kramer, known as Jigsaw.
Sherlock Holmes
Feature films based on Arthur Conan Doyle's legendary detective, spanning multiple eras, actors, and interpretations across nearly a century of cinema.