Listen, when it comes to movies to watch during the Halloween season, I’m not about to tell you something you don’t already know. From classic monsters to 80s slashers to modern horrors that play with the genre, there’s certainly no shortage of options to add to the queue.

However, I’m willing to wager that most people overlook (or simply forget about) silent films when they make their watchlists during this time of year. Sure, maybe Nosferatu makes it on a few lists, but that’s probably about it.

With that in mind, may I recommend 1923’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame for your consideration? In case you need some convincing…

• The film stars the legendary “man of a thousand faces” Lon Chaney as Quasimodo, two years before he entered the Universal Monsters pantheon with The Phantom of the Opera.
• Chaney’s makeup (which he designed himself) is so well done, and his acting so convincing that it must’ve scared the bezeejus out of 1923 audiences.
• This was the first film adaptation of Victor Hugo’s novel, and it became Universal’s most successful silent film.
• Hunchback was one of the first million-dollar spectacles. Filmmakers re-created the cathedral of Notre Dame and surrounding streets to accommodate its cast of thousands. We throw around the word epic a lot in film, but this was one of the first Hollywood epics.
• The film was produced by Carl Laemmle, founder of Universal Studios, years before he’d help bring the Phantom, Dracula, and Frankenstein to life for the studio.

All that is well and good, but silent films from the 1920s aren’t exactly known as captivating crowd-pleasers by 2020s standards. So how does it hold up?

Quite well, thank you very much.

One thing that’s striking about the early silent films is the startling hit-or-miss nature of their quality. I’m not only talking about whether they hold up plotwise or from a narrative perspective. Aside from that, the quality of the films themselves – the resolution, vibrancy, and clarity – is all over the place.

If you’ve ever watched a silent film, you’re no doubt aware of the jittery, bouncy nature of film from the era. Speed is also usually ramped up (everyone looks to be moving in fast forward), and the scratches and abuses inflicted on the film reels over a hundred years is all too painfully evident.

Without beating around the bush, Kino Lorber’s brand-new release of the 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame is flat-out gorgeous. The film got a 4K restoration from Universal Pictures, and it’s absolutely stunning. You’re not going to confuse this for a black-and-white film made this year, but the quality of the film and its restoration are astonishing.

The remarkable picture quality, impressive sets and special effects, and Chaney’s acting all make the film eminently watchable. But what makes this release of Hunchback required viewing is the new score by Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum and Laura Karpman.

Rather than match the period of the film (as so many silent film scores do, even modern ones) with “old-timey” piano or a style that emphasizes a 1920s sound, Kroll-Rosenbaum and Karpman swung the pendulum in the other direction. Their score feels intensely modern, and it adds surprising layers of depth to the drama on screen. It pulls the 1923 visuals into the 21st century, helps the audience connect to Quasimodo and the other characters, tugs on your heartstrings, pulls you to the edge of your seat, and even provides a few jump scares.

In short, the music makes this century-old film feel compellingly modern. You may come for Lon Chaney and the epic visuals… but you’ll stay for the music.