Alraune

Professor Jacob ten Brinken loses his university teaching post due to his abnormal interest in artificial insemination. He conducts an illicit experiment by artificially impregnating a prostitute with the sperm of a male murderer condemned to death. The resulting child is Alraune, whom he raises on his estate.

From the illicit birth, he raises Alraune on his estate, giving her a life shaped by their unorthodox beginnings. The name Alraune echoes the mandrake root and hints at her uncanny nature.

Medical student Frank Braun arrives at his uncle's estate to ask for a loan. There he becomes infatuated with the now-beautiful Alraune. They quickly profess their love.

Alraune announces she will leave her father to live with Frank in Paris. Frank is initially intrigued but unsettled by her dangerous charm. The plan foreshadows the couple's departure from the estate.

Ten Brinken warns Frank about Alraune's ability to lure men to their demise. Horrified, Frank leaves for Paris without Alraune. The revelation strains the relationship between Alraune and her father.

Now independent of her parents, Alraune uses her sexual appeal to attract men—Gerald, Mathieu, and Ralph—leading to tragedies and social confusion. When a necklace goes missing, she is accused of theft and Duvaliere is fired. It later turns out Doctor Mohn stole the necklace and framed Duvaliere to gain Alraune's attention.

Months later, Frank returns from his studies. Alraune proclaims her love again, but Frank resents her. He gradually realizes that she is capable of genuine emotion, challenging his previous belief that she is soulless.

Alraune tells ten Brinken about her plan to elope with Frank. He refuses to let her go, fearing that she will destroy him and herself. The confrontation heightens the tension between them.

With the sulfur spring dry, Dr. Mohn threatens to expose ten Brinken's illegal experiments. He plans to run away with Alraune to Germany using the land-sale money. Alraune struggles with her own sense of being the bringer of destruction.

Frank consoles Alraune, arguing that good and evil coexist in every person and that the good in her can prevail. He helps her reclaim hope for a life with him and a chance to choose her own path. This marks a turn toward moral agency.

Frank carries Alraune back to the estate, where ten Brinken confronts the idea of losing her to another man. He shoots Alraune, declaring that the toy has broken and that he cannot tolerate the crime against nature. Alraune dies, dissolving into a mandrake-root form as her true nature is destroyed.

Ten Brinken is arrested and hanged for the murder of Alraune, ending the tale of his cruel experiments. The film closes with the consequences of his actions and the erasure of Alraune's legacy.