The Unknown
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Back in cinemas Sep 20 — 1 cinema in California · 1 screenings at 1 cinema on our showtimes page
Where to watch: Not on major US streamers — check digital rental.
How it scared people
The vibe
Lon Chaney plays a circus knife-thrower who pretends to be armless, and the trick is that Chaney really did bind his arms, letting an armless double do the throwing with his feet. Fifty minutes of romantic obsession curdle into something genuinely sick; the final ten are among silent cinema's cruelest.
The Unknown (1927) Parents Guide
| MPA rating | No MPAA certificate (released outside the US system) |
|---|---|
| Runtime | 68 minutes |
| Jump scares | 1/5 — mild by horror standards — more unsettling than outright scary |
| Gore | 1/5 — almost no gore |
| Dread | 4/5 — heavy atmosphere — expect it to sit with you afterwards |
| Themes | psychological distress |
The Unknown carries no MPAA certificate. We score it 1/5 for jump scares, 1/5 for gore and 4/5 for lingering dread, over 68 minutes. Very little blood — the hard part here is atmosphere and aftermath, not graphic content. Older teens and adults — less for what it shows than for how long it stays with you.
We rate what the film does — scares, gore, dread — not scene-level content like language or nudity, which we don't track.
Before you press play
- How scary is The Unknown?
- On our intensity scale, The Unknown rates 2/10 for jump scares and 8/10 for dread. It is mild by horror standards — more unsettling than outright scary.
- How gory is The Unknown?
- The Unknown rates 2/10 for gore — expect almost no gore.
- How long is The Unknown?
- The Unknown runs 68 minutes (1h 8m).
- What is The Unknown rated?
- The Unknown has no MPAA certificate — common for films released outside the US. On our scale it rates 2/10 for jump scares, 2/10 for gore and 8/10 for dread.
- Where to watch The Unknown (1927)?
- The Unknown is back in cinemas from Sep 20 — 1 screening at 1 cinema on our showtimes page. It is not on a major US subscription streamer yet.
