German expressionist cinema is an artistic movement that was born in Germany between the 1910s and 1920s, in a period of political, social and economic crisis. Expressionist directors sought to express their emotions and visions through the distortion of reality, creating mysterious and disturbing atmospheres, using contrasting sets and lights, and representing tormented and alienated characters. German expressionist cinema was influenced by the expressionist movement in painting, literature, theater and music, but also by psychoanalysis, romanticism, gothic and myth. Some of the most famous films of this genre are The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, Nosferatu the Vampire, Metropolis and Monster of Düsseldorf, which have marked the history of cinema and inspired many other directors. German expressionist cinema has given rise to many film genres, such as noir, thriller, horror and science fiction, which are based on the contrast between light and shadow, on the theme of the conflict between good and evil, on the representation of dystopian worlds and monstrous creatures. In this article, we will see how German expressionist cinema influenced world cinema, and how cigarette cards helped spread its fame and appeal through its protagonists.