International Art House Classics: M (1931) 35mm

Set in 1931 Berlin, M is the chilling tale of serial child murderer Hans Beckert (Peter Lorre, in a star-defining performance) and the community he terrorizes, its various strata and conceptions of justice. Opening with an unsolved murder, the film depicts a frantic hunt for the killer. With the sanctioned wheels of the lawful justice system turning, the city's criminal underworld begins to have difficulties conducting business as usual. The streets are thick with police on high alert, conducting raids at every opportunity. In response, the city's mobsters devise a vigilante plan to capture the murderer and bring him to justice themselves. The first sound film of German-Austrian master Fritz Lang, M has come to be considered the original psychological thriller, the begetter of what would come to be known as film noir — and a profound exploration of crime, punishment and justice

Directed by Fritz Lang

1931 | Germany | German language with English subtitles | 35mm