M (1931)
When the police in a German city are unable to catch a child-murderer, other criminals join in the manhunt. (imdb)
Cast and Information
Directed By: Fritz Lang
Written By: Fritz Lang, Thea von Harbou
Starring: Peter Lorre, Theodor Loos, Georg John, Fritz Odemar, Theo Lingen, Gustaf Gründgens, Paul Kemp, Otto Wernicke, Friedrich Gnaß, Inge Landgut, Rudolf Blümner, Ellen Widmann
Genres: Suspense/Thriller, Crime
Country: Germany
Where to Stream
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M belongs to 167 collections
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Browse the full list of collections
| Stars | User | Rating | |
| 8 |  |
TimeCapsule | 92 95th |
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Rightfully earning its status as a "classic", Fritz Lang's first "talkie" is a brilliant early sound film holding up surprisingly well almost a century later. In addition to the fantastic use of sound, the film's plot and themes make for an engaging and thought provoking police-procedural/crime/thriller, whose ideas of fear, paranoia, mob mentality, and justice are only deepened given the context of the time and place of the film's production.
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| 5 |  |
KasperL | 90 97th |
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Brilliant. My favorite movie from the '30s.
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| 5 |  |
billkerwin | 96 96th |
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One of the essentials. The direction is magnificent--the moment when the child's balloon is caught in the wires still makes my heart race--and Peter Lorre, with his hunted expression and haunted stare, is exactly right: loathsome and yet somehow pitiable.
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| 4 |  |
Moribunny | 80 91st |
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A far cry from the silent Metropolis, with its sci-fi romanticism and sparse dialog, this first of Lang's talkies is very talkative and completely earthy, and a film noir forerunner. Lang's directing is great as usual and the editing is exceptional giving this a good pace for its time. M is also a display of newfound maturity for Lang, esp. the final scenes. I must add that it was hard for me to watch this without constantly being reminded of the historical context in which it was made.
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| 4 |  |
Alex Watkins | 4 70th |
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Really good; maintains the tension throughout, Lorre is excellent, the chase and the court scene at the end are fantastic. But I don't think it is all amazing, and age has weathered it a fair amount. Well worth seeing, still.
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| 4 |  |
Farzan | 94 95th |
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Fritz Lang does wonders with M. M is a really slow moving film of the start, it is very subtle and political for the first half, then towards the end, it becomes a classic manhunt. Peter Lorre is absolutely menacing as Breckert. But what really sticks out the most for me, is how...human everyone is presented in this film. Even Peter Lorre, who is pretty much a mindless robot, really shows some of the most human qualities I have ever seen. A Classic.
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| 4 |  |
frederic_g54 | 10 97th |
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Dark, quiet and piercing, the first (one of the best openings I've seen) and last 10 minutes are worth your time alone. A masterful work from Lang.
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| 4 |  |
sophie | 95 98th |
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Even though it's rather slow paced, it's not boring at all. Probably because of those kind of awkwardly silent moments in-between the scenes with sound that kept me anticipating whatever would come next. In addition to that, I can't quite remember when I last saw a similar performance to that of Peter Lorre in 'M', so good you almost pity the monster. Definitely a must see.
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| 3 |  |
Nathan S | 5 93rd |
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M is a transitional film in two important contexts: as Lang moves away from grand and fantastic silent adventures, his first talkie is quiet, subtle, suspended with bated breath. A prototype of his subsequent occupation with the pathology of crime, and forerunner to the noir movement he would helm in Hollywood. Moreover, it is a troubling evocation of its time and place: a paranoid and persecutory state where municipal authority is indistinguishable from syndicated crime.
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| 3 |  |
Optimus_mike | 95 96th |
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Ahead for its time in both terms of camerawork and narration. Brilliant use of shadows and lighting and even more importantly is the near silence the movie is in. The whistling of "In the Hall of the Mountain King" is all the more haunting when it is both preceded and followed by absolute silence. Favorite section of the film for me was the duel planning of both the criminals and the police authorities, a great use of editing.
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| 3 |  |
arkadia | 92 91st |
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Would have been absolutely mindblowing if I could watch it with a blank mind, untarnished by the 78 years of movies that have come after this. But even without that innocence, M is still amazing.
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| 3 |  |
Paxton | 93 98th |
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This might just be nitpicking but there's an extra in one of the scenes that has his hat on slightly crooked. Almost ruins the whole thing for me.
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| 2 |  |
Magb | 80 61st |
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Good movie, to be sure, and it's chilling to realize that only two years later, Hitler would be appealing to the exact same sort of group mentality that's presented here. I don't like it nearly as much as Metropolis, however. The kangaroo court scene at the end is the only scene that stands out in my mind as truly amazing.
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| 2 |  |
emtilt | 98 99th |
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This film is at least a decade ahead of its time.
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| 2 |  |
torontodog | 100 99th |
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Child serial killer loose in the pre-CSI era! This is a crime procedural that could have been made last year - it was so ahead of its time. The psychological view of the killer is fascinating and the investigative techniques of that era are well documented. Lang was one of the few to master both silent and sound films - with this particular one being sort of a hybrid.
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| 2 | county_hell | 85 89th |
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A fantastic portrayal of crime and punishment in pre-WWII Germany. Seeing as how the movie is almost 80 years old, it does have some moments that are dated, and the pace is not consistent throughout. But Peter Lorre gives a great performance as the tortured child murderer. And the courtroom scene at the end is one of the truly great moments in film. The impact was such that Hitler wanted Fritz Lang to direct propaganda pieces for the Nazi party, forcing Lang to flee Germany.
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| 2 |  |
moraesfelipe | 94 97th |
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The type of procedural storytelling people love to follow in products like True Detective and Zodiac began here, in this amazing follow-up to Metropolis moral study of a society in a profound state of fear and rage -- like that sci-fi, this is also centered by a battle between classes, here criminals-vs-authorities. As outlaw men (and hobos) are recruited to watch the streets for these murderer, Lang shoots scenes destined for eternity, like that entire final sequence. A true shocker.
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| 2 |  |
Okkervil | 79 81st |
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Okay, I'm not on the "I love this movie" bandwagon. But it is very, very good.
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| 2 |  |
jeff_v | 99 99th |
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This film is consistently the hardest film to pull up on most movie websites' search function. Either it won't let you enter a one-letter search or it retrieves thousands of movies with the letter 'M' in it.
Also, this movie is totally fucking awesome.
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| 2 |  |
afx237vi | 85 90th |
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I had a hard time ranking this one. It is slow and clunky, and my mind did wander on a few occasions... but there are several moments of brilliance and the final 30 minutes are absolutely breathtaking. Peter Lorre is truly phenomenal in this film; creepy and repulsive, but so pitiful and pathetic that you can't help but feel sympathy for him. The scene where he sees a little girl in the mirror and has to order a double cognac to calm himself down is incredible. Definitely worth the watch.
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| 2 |  |
ShaqFilmClub | 100 85th |
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3 Shaqtaculars
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| 2 |  |
Kadrian | 50 34th |
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It's a 1930s flick so it's not graphic, which plays to its advantage in my opinion. Unlike a modern movie, which would gratuitously emphasize the violence with bloody corpses and screaming children, this one focuses on the deleterious effects of a deranged murderer upon a society, the difficulty of catching such a criminal, and the lengths people will go to in order to finally bring him to justice.
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| 2 |  |
ribcage | 81 79th |
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Lang brings out the paranoia and insanity with great direction and good pacing. From the city's mounting fears and suspicion to the manhunt for lorre its dark entertainment and the last 20 minutes are a one of a kind film experience...lorres unleashed performance is gripping and pulsepounding and the writing is perfect.
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| 2 |  |
W00DY | 91 96th |
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As a technical excercise 'M' is a masterpiece. The photography, editing and acting are all superb and the use of a leitmotif is groundbreaking in filmmaking. As a movie it's almost as good. The screenplay is tense and thrilling, apart from a slight lag in the middle. The opening and especially the ending are extremely memorable and raise some important questions regarding responsibility. It's hard to believe this was made over 80 years ago.
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| 2 |  |
lisa- | 7 92nd |
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a very interesting film elevates itself to absolute genius in trial by beggars. should have ended with their hands up, fade to black, 'in the name of the law'. the final line about mothers watching their children was unnecessary. ah well, great film.
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| 1 | Mikul | 85 71st |
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Peter Lorre is great as a serial killer of children. After Berlin's criminal underground takes his pursuit in hand, we actually feel pity for him, a lesson Alfred Hitchcock appreciated.
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| 1 | StarSiren | 88 89th |
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This is actually a pretty good movie. It drew me in right away and kept me interested throughout. It gets a little slow at times but the ending is so rewarding with the performance Peter Lorre delivers.
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| 1 |  |
SlrSoapbox | 95 96th |
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Lorre's disgusting/pitiable killer might be one of the greatest acting performances I've ever seen. This movie is incredibly gripping and suspenseful. The directing/writing choices really intrigue me - how we never actually find out what Beckert does to his victims (the imagination is far darker than a visual could ever be) and how 'In The Hall of the Mountain King' suddenly became so very sinister. My god, I wish I'd seen this years ago.
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| 1 |  |
willofgaia | 95 89th |
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A slow build, and what a fantastic performance from Peter Lorre.
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| 1 |  |
Harmonica | 82 73rd |
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One of the rare oldies that holds up to modern standards, and clips along at a fair pace and with such technical quality that it's completely enjoyable some eight decades later. Something you probably can't say about most crime films released even a decade ago.
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| 1 |  |
Kavu | 79 66th |
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This is a very hard movie to rate. It's undeniably groundbreaking with a good message and a great lead role by Lorre but on the other hand it has aged horribly and feels quite boring.
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| 1 | okidude | 3 51st |
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A real study in movie history right here! I think most modern Thillers can trace their techniques and roots back to this very film. No doubt Alfred Hitchcock was heavily inspired by this one. Modern American/English audiences may have trouble swallowing this due to the film being in German without voiceovers.
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| 1 |  |
Pickpocket | 9 93rd |
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Peter Lorre gives one of the best performances and the movie is really tense and well made. Holds up unbelievably well for something made nearly 80 years ago.
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| 1 |  |
TheDiceman | 80 95th |
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Stunning film way way ahead of its time.
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| 1 |  |
TedDedon | 89 83rd |
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M is one of those movies that is so old that it's really a tough watch. It's hard for a lot of people to admit that watching nearly silent films is not easy, but I'm gonna be straight with you. M, though it's a hard watch, is incredibly rewarding. It's a fantastic movie and is tense once you get wrapped up in the world its set in. Fritz Lang is a master of visual make up and this is one of his best works. M is a great movie.
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| 1 | lapierre520 | 90 73rd |
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This is so well done. it can feel really slow during the first two acts but the third is well worth anything. it's so intriguing and thought provoking. A Must See.
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| 1 |  |
Icarus | 99 98th |
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Magnificent film in so many ways, none more so than Lang's visual sensibility. He uses images and sound in tension quite often: we hear the cries of a mother as the camera shows us images of empty living spaces; we hear the oncoming criminals as we see Lorre hiding helplessly in the building. Lang uses these tensions to build sentiment for the citizenry and to build suspense for the final confrontation. That we ultimately see the frailty of the law only deepens the tragedy of humanity's failures
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| 1 |  |
nandorizzi | 75 71st |
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A film hard to analyze. Clearly dated in many technical aspects, but it is a true classic. Inspired by German Expressionism, with a dark and enigmatic narrative, incredible suspense.
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| 1 |  |
Luna6ix | 68 29th |
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I expected more, Peter Lorre as a serial killer with Lang behind the camera sounded like pure gold. The ending was the only part that didn't bore me, but by that point I had zoned out so much of the plot that I didn't even know what was going on.
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| 1 | psychedelicr | 95 94th |
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Yes, this is a brilliant film. Truthfully, it did have some dull moments--"stalls"--so no, it's not perfect, along with some shaky camera dollies (understandable, back then, but the lighting is fantastic). However, the acting is just terrific. The themes and allegories to real life are very moving and disturbing, as is the trial scene, which says volumes about society...a scene I will remember forever, one of the few great moments in cinema history.
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| 1 |  |
XakkMaster | 92 93rd |
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Incredibly influential and wonderfully made. Lorre is amazing, delivering a tense, nuanced performance until he can really let loose in the end. Some contemporary audiences may find it slow in parts, but that's a slight criticism. Viewing it through a modern lens can also add tension and anxiety thinking about the attitudes and politics brewing in Germany at the time.
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| 1 |  |
Castroph | 8 85th |
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The whistling will never get out of your head.
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| 1 |  |
Bmunise | 100 97th |
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I have a hard time putting to words how phenomenal this film is. There are some jarring moments, especially that last really short cutaway. But that's what they're supposed to do: shock you off of that pathos wave you're riding and make you think. It's a completely Brechtian tactic and it's magnificent.
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| 1 |  |
Councillor | 89 85th |
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Best kangaroo court scene in cinema history.
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| 1 |  |
CosmicMonkey | 85 86th |
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I watched the restored 110-minute version and couldn't help thinking that the shorter cut may have actually been better. It's an overly slow film, and that's only because there are so many unimportant and repetitive scenes that have needlessly been included. When the film is at it's best though, it's amazing, and the trial at the end is a perfect scene in every aspect. When the historical context of the film is considered, it's condemnation of mob mentality becomes even more important.
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wetwillies | 85 59th |
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A bit slow but once Peter Lorre becomes the focus, it becomes a tight thriller that almost feels as if it could be made today.
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mwgerb | 70 86th |
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M gave the film world the ideas of a serial killer, a manhunt, and leitmotif, along with a tale that manages to evoke both disgust and pity for its villain. A true classic.
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GordonBombay | 87 79th |
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This is a movie classic. It's thrilling, it's exiting and ohh yes IT'S GERMAN!!! Everybody ought to to watch this movie if for nothing else then for Peter Lorre. Peter Lorre is pure genius as M and the camera work is great. Before "The Pledge" and "Es geschah am hellichten Tag" there was "M".
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glumpy_99 | 93 87th |
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Iconic, classic manhunt/police procedural more or less invented both genres, and its startling how much its best moments seem fresh and new, even some 90 years on (especially its telling commentary on mob rule and hysteria) - there's even a coda which takes the notion of "victim blaming" to task! Outside of this, a gripping and horrifying journey into the ugly side of 30s Germany, marked by Lorre's indelible (though surprisingly brief) performance.
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bof | 91 98th |
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What fear and paranoia does to people. Germany, 1931.
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mattorama12 | 90 97th |
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What a thrilling ride. The story is immensely engaging and it's one of the few classics I would recommend to people who generally refuse to watch anything made before 1980. In a technical sense, it's quite an achievement as well.
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DesertPunk | 89 96th |
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Noir before it was cool. Lang is really an underappreciated genius, M feels ridiculously modern and fresh even 82 years after it was released. When an 82 year old movie is beating half the movies released since then in terms of cinematography and characterization, you know it's special.
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talonmalon | 85 69th |
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Hans Beckert is a absolutely phenomenal screen villain and steals the show.
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| 1 | PUNQ | 100 99th |
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M = Masterpiece.
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orcunyondem | 91 88th |
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At one point I thought I was watching the wrong movie. Than I understood why this is a masterpiece. Everything aside, only the acting could be enough. This movie had my attention, now has my respect.
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rttntomatoes | 100 98th |
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A landmark psychological thriller with arresting images, deep thoughts on modern society, and Peter Lorre in his finest performance.
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Yiannos | 85 97th |
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Lang's classic remains a compelling procedural thriller fashioned with astonishing technical precision. The emphasis is on method rather than twists and reveals; the killer's identity isn't a mystery, so the intrigue is centered around his capture involving divergent social groups, forming the basis of a trenchant social critique. Lorre is haunting as the killer, a disturbed man driven by dark impulses he can't understand or control. His trial in an abandoned distillery is truly unforgettable.
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dardan | 95 98th |
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A mutually beneficial bond is constructed between the social commentary that explores the facets of mob morality or hysteria (which, considering the time and place in which it was made, carries additional significance) and its suspense of what will happen into what will be said.
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feublo | 90 90th |
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A movie that intervenes with the shadows of social justice and lawful rights. At the surface it explores the voice of reason for criminal punishment. With such a distinct character to follow for the film's vocation, I can highly appreciate the dialogue and cinematic details that progress towards the end.
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| Average Percentile 78.13% from 4040 Ratings |  |