Nosferatu

Bela Lugosi's Dracula might be the most famous cinematic vampire, but Max Schreck's grotesque Count Orlok in the 1922 silent film "Nosferatu" is definitely one of the scariest. In fact, his eerie portrayal of the Transylvanian count was so unsettling that critics over the years have joked that Schreck was an actual vampire. But urban legend aside, Schreck's portrayal is truly terrifying even by today's standards, and the film's use of light creates a frightening atmosphere that accentuates Orlok's spooky demeanor. Even the lack of sound does little to draw away from the startling nature of the film. Interestingly, "Nosferatu" was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, and because of legal issues, nearly every copy of the film was destroyed. Fortunately, several reels were secretly saved, and Count Orlok has been able to continue scaring generations of moviegoers.