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Who is the murderer?
1931 | 111m | German

(178751 votes)

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Popularity: 2 (history)

Details

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.
Release Date: May 11, 1931
Director: Fritz Lang
Writer: Fritz Lang, Thea von Harbou
Genres: Drama, Crime, Thriller
Keywords germany, berlin, germany, child murder, detective inspector, investigation, psychopath, organized crime, serial killer, black and white, criminal, pre-code, psycho, expressionism, german expressionism, crime
Production Companies Nero-Film AG
Box Office Revenue: $35,274
Budget: $0
Updates Updated: Mar 08, 2025 (Update)
Entered: Mar 08, 2025
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Full Credits

Name Character
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
Paul Kemp Pickpocket with Six Watches
Theo Lingen Bauernfänger
Rudolf Blümner Becker's 'Attorney'
Georg John Blind Panhandler
Franz Stein Minister
Ernst Stahl-Nachbaur Police Chief
Gerhard Bienert Criminal Secretary
Karl Platen Damowitz
Rosa Valetti Bartender
Hertha von Walther Prostitute
Carl Ballhaus Leeser
Paul Mederow Staatsanwalt
Hadrian Maria Netto Polizeihauptmann
Lucie Rhoden Sekretärin im Polizeiarchiv
Karl Hannemann Kriminalbeamter
Name Job
Fritz Lang Director, Screenplay
Thea von Harbou Screenplay
Fritz Arno Wagner Director of Photography
Adolf Jansen Sound Designer
Wilhelm Weber Makeup Artist
Ernst Wolff Production Manager
Emil Hasler Art Direction
Paul Falkenberg Editor, Sound Editor
Karl Vollbrecht Art Direction
Name Title
Seymour Nebenzal Producer
Organization Category Person
Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 4 23 34 16
2024 5 28 44 14
2024 6 22 35 15
2024 7 28 55 15
2024 8 19 28 13
2024 9 16 23 10
2024 10 17 35 12
2024 11 16 27 9
2024 12 16 25 10
2025 1 21 41 14
2025 2 16 27 3
2025 3 6 20 2
2025 4 4 6 2
2025 5 3 8 2
2025 6 3 6 2
2025 7 2 4 2
2025 8 2 3 1

Trending Position


Year Month High Avg
2025 3 145 332

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Reviews

wiccaburr
8.0

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 t ... he 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.

Jun 23, 2021
badelf
10.0

So you say you want to enroll in film school? Don't bother. Just watch Fritz Lang's M and Metropolis. ...

May 31, 2023
JN2012
7.0

Random person: Nobody knows him (The murderer). Woman who lives with the murderer: Am I a joke to you? ...

Oct 20, 2023
JN2012
7.0

Stone cold classic. Certainly one of the best time films about orange peels being littered. ...

Oct 20, 2023
FilipeManuelNeto
9.0

**One of the masterpieces of classic German cinema.** There isn't much that can be said about this film that almost everyone hasn't already said or written. It is one of the great films of German cinema, one of the best productions that were made before the Second World War and one of the best fi ... lms in the career of the renowned director Fritz Lang, who shortly afterward would leave Germany due to the rise of Nazism, refusing to deal with that political regime. The film is inspired by real events, namely the murderous path of Peter Kürten, the “Vampire of Düsseldorf”, who terrorized people at the same time and also had young teenagers as his victims. The film manages to capture very well the feeling of fear that existed among the people of the city and the attempts that the police made to find this merciless killer. The cinematography, in black and white, still shows signs of the influence of German expressionism without, however, giving up the realism that the entire film demanded. In fact, I can't say whether the film was inspired by “noir” or came to inspire “noir” later, but I could see the aesthetic and style similarities. Peter Lorre is the only actor who stands out: he brought the main role to life and shines without almost having to say anything. It's an excellent work by the actor and has undoubtedly opened many doors for him.

Oct 28, 2023