Fritz Lang's last silent film is a highly stylized, architecturally striking classic of the German Expressionist movement. In the 21st-Century, a de-humanized proletariat labors non-stop in a miserable subterranean city beneath a luxurious municipality. The entire metropolis is controlled by a sinister authoritarian whose son, Freder, rejects his father's world philosophy and attitude towards laborers. Meek though they are, the workers are encouraged by Maria, a wistful young woman who assures her comrades that help is on its way. Upon discovering her influence, a mad scientist creates a Maria-look-alike that will incite the workers to revolt. When they do, the results are cataclysmic.