Thea von Harbou is a pivotal yet often overlooked figure in the silent era of German cinema, whose multifaceted contributions as a screenwriter and novelist, helped shape the visual and narrative aesthetics of early 20th-century filmmaking. Best known for her collaborations with Fritz Lang, von Harbou co-wrote timeless masterpieces such as the silent sci-fi classic Metropolis (1927) and the proto-noir M (1931), films celebrated for their innovative aesthetics and incisive critiques of modernity, technology, and societal inequities. Her literary prowess imbued her scripts with a rare combination of mythic symbolism and socio-political depth, establishing her as a key architect of Weimar cinema. However, her legacy is complicated by her involvement in Nazi-era propaganda, a factor that has overshadowed her artistic achievements. Despite this, von Harbou's innovative and enduring contribution remains essential to understanding the cultural and intellectual foundations of early cinema, deserving of a renewed critical reexamination.