Der Golem (1920), directed by Paul Wegener and Carl Boese, is an early horror landmark of German Expressionism. In 16th-century Prague, Rabbi Löw shapes a man of clay to protect the Jewish ghetto from a hostile emperor. Awakened by a demon and a mystical amulet, the Golem is first a protector, then a force of ruin once others bend him to their own ends.

On January 25, 2025, Chicago metal and experimental band Yakuza premiered their first-ever film score, performed live to the film at Thalia Hall. The night was part of WBEZ's ongoing series in which artists choose a public domain film and write an original score for it, and it marked the band's 25th anniversary.

Formed in Chicago in July 1999, Yakuza has spent a quarter century between metal and the avant-garde, with seven releases including Way of the Dead, Of Seismic Consequence and Sutra (Svart Records, 2023).