Trail Nº 01

6 Silent Films for Beginners

Start with the 45-minute Sherlock Jr., then follow five more silent-era classics from Buster Keaton comedy to Metropolis.

6 films · about 7 hours all told

Momo presents a ribbon of film winding from playful silent-comedy objects toward a moonlit geometric city.
Original Monocurator artwork © Monocurator
  1. 01
    Original poster for Sherlock Jr.
    Sherlock Jr. (1924) If you only watch one

    Forty-five minutes of impossible silent-comedy joy.

    Buster Keaton · 45 min · United States

  2. 02
    Buster Keaton at the front of the locomotive in The General
    The General (1926)

    Keaton, a train, and perfect deadpan engineering.

    Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman · 78 min · United States

  3. 03
    Original Monocurator collage for Modern Times
    Modern Times (1936)

    Chaplin vs. the machine age — tender and funny.

    Charlie Chaplin · 87 min · United States

  4. 04
    Janet Gaynor in a publicity portrait for Sunrise
    Sunrise (1927)

    A near-wordless love story of overwhelming beauty.

    F. W. Murnau · 75 min · United States

  5. 05
    Astronomers preparing the cannon in A Trip to the Moon
    A Trip to the Moon (1902)

    The first film that ever dreamed. Thirteen minutes.

    Georges Méliès · 11 min · France

  6. 06
    Boris Bilinsky poster for Metropolis
    Metropolis (1927)

    A vast silent city of the future, still staggering.

    Fritz Lang · 150 min · Germany

Why this order works

Begin with Sherlock Jr., where the screen feels like a playground, then let The General stretch that same comic momentum across a larger canvas. Modern Times keeps the laughter close while adding a little tenderness, preparing the way for Sunrise, the trail's first dreamier pause. A Trip to the Moon then resets the eye: small, strange, and delighted by possibility. Metropolis comes last because it asks for the most patience and gives the journey its grandest finish. The order moves from immediate pleasure to richer textures, so each stop teaches you how to watch the next without ever turning the evening into homework.

More trails

If you only watch one film noir Trail Nº 02 · 4 films Where to Start with Japanese Classic Films Trail Nº 03 · 3 films

Further reading

15 Best Classic Movies Under 90 Minutes One-evening watchlist → Metropolis: Which Restoration Should You Watch? Version guide → Why Watch Black-and-White Films Today? Start here →

Finished the trail? Ask Momo for the next film →