Principal cast
Peter Lorre as Hans Beckert, Ellen Widmann as Frau Beckmann, Inge Landgut as Elsie Beckmann, Otto Wernicke as Inspector Karl Lohmann, and Theodor Loos as Inspector Groeber
Film 123 of 244 on the Screen Path
M
Who is the murderer?
About the film
M at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1931 film at stop 123 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
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.
Key craft credits
Fritz Arno Wagner (director of photography), Paul Falkenberg (editor), Fritz Lang (screenplay), Thea von Harbou (screenplay), and Emil Hasler (art direction)
- Director
- Fritz Lang
- Release
- 1931-05-11
- Runtime
- 110 minutes
- Genres
- Drama, Thriller, and Crime
- Country
- Germany
- Quiz
- 40 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 40 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
40 questions in this journeyWant to try a complete journey on the web? The Citizen Kane page includes the spoiler-free guide, after-film analysis, and a sample quiz.
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