Horror Movie???

I'd call it... horror/crime thriller? There is a bit psychological and supernatural (?) horror in this for sure. There is some telepathy suggested, and a ghost (which actually is pretty scary) is seen, though it's not clear if it's a figment of a disturbed man's imagination or a real ghost.

There is no one category that clearly contains Testament of Dr. Mabuse. I'd call it something like Creepy Expressionistic Thriller Mystery.

I'd say it was the supernatural elements, ghosts and overall creepiness that makes the movie a Horror. Plus there was a few scenes where a couple's life were in danger by a slow, gradual threat. In general, expressionistic movies are dark and kind of weird. Two other descriptions that land movies into the Horror catagory.

No two persons ever watch the same movie.

It had several elements of the horror genre: somber, creepy settings like an asylum; the suggestion of supernatural forces like ghosts and telepathy; a possible case of possession.

But the movie remains undefinable. It transcends genre, or rather embraces all genres, even romance (Tom and Lilli) and comedy (Commissioner Lohmann and his assistant).

This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.

The malevolent specter of Mabuse, his imagined or true ghost coaxes others to do his bidding. It is, amongst the many genres it fits, a horror film. Part evil ghost story.

"For that day."
-Three Days of the Condor

There are three fairly creepy scenes involving spectres and possessions that amount to about 2 minutes of a 115-minute film. It's definitely a stretch to call it a horror movie.

I don't get it either. Maybe it's the Hitler Metaphor? Or maybe the scene where we see Mabuse's Spirit(?), or maybe is influence(?) due to it being a kind of disturbing scene. Or maybe it's just interpretation. Because I found M to be kind of eerie, but that's not listed as a horror movie.