M

"Who is the murderer?"

1931 1h 50m DE

🙌

8.1

BANGER

🔥

100%

CERTIFIED FRESH

⭐

8.3

IMDB

★8.1TMDB · 2,557🍅100%Rotten Tomatoes★8.3IMDB · 179,355

DramaThrillerCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In this classic German thriller, Hans Beckert, a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt. Beckert's heinous crimes are so repellant and disruptive to city life that he is even targeted by others in the seedy underworld network. With both cops and criminals in pursuit, the murderer soon realizes that people are on his trail, sending him into a tense, panicked attempt to escape justice.

“Who is the murderer?”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Peter Lorre
Hans Beckert
Ellen Widmann
Frau Beckmann
Inge Landgut
Elsie Beckmann
Otto Wernicke
Inspector Karl Lohmann
Theodor Loos
Inspector Groeber
Gustaf Gründgens
Schränker
Friedrich Gnaß
Franz
Fritz Odemar
The Cheater

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Fritz Lang
Writers: Fritz Lang, Thea von Harbou
Languages: German
Countries: Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 6

ERA

Did you know

95 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Fritz Lang, shot by Fritz Arno Wagner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Paul Falkenberg shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Peter Lorre and Ellen Widmann and Inge Landgut carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Who is the murderer?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0022100 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Fritz Lang directs. Fritz Arno Wagner behind the camera. Paul Falkenberg cuts. Produced in Germany. Dialogue in German.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

195 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Fritz Lang, shot by Fritz Arno Wagner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Editor Paul Falkenberg shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Peter Lorre and Ellen Widmann and Inge Landgut carry the top of the cast.
5Marketing tagline: "Who is the murderer?".
6IMDB entry: tt0022100 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
7Classified under 16 themes, including "berlin, germany", "germany", "psychopath", "detective inspector".
8Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Fritz Arno Wagner
Editing: Paul Falkenberg
Makeup / hair: Wilhelm Weber
Runtime: 110 min · 1h 50m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $35,274
Original language: DE
IMDB: M (1931)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% 🍅 Fresh
IMDB rating: 8.3/10 · 179,355 votes
MPAA: Passed

Awards

2 wins total

Also by

Fritz Lang

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Wiccaburr2020-10-07
★ 8/10
The movie is classic and yet this is my first time watching this. Peter Lorre alone is worth seeing this movie as he always played such the great villain. No music keeps your focus on the image and dialogue throughout the movie. Camera work looks pretty awesome especially when they start doing the manhunt. This movie clocks in at almost two hours so there will be a lot of pacing and dialogue to go through. It will feel a bit dragging when Lorre isn't on the screen but it is well worth going through the film to see how it all plays out.
badelf2023-05-31
★ 10/10
So you say you want to enroll in film school? Don't bother. Just watch Fritz Lang's M and Metropolis.
James2023-10-20
★ 7/10
Random person: Nobody knows him (The murderer). Woman who lives with the murderer: Am I a joke to you?