M

1931 Director Fritz Lang

Based on the the true story of Peter Kurten, a child killer known then as the monster of Dusseldorf this film set Peter Lorre on his remarkable acting career. It's a classic early talkie set in 1931 Berlin.

The police are anxious to capture an elusive child murderer and begin rounding up every criminal in town. The underworld leaders decide to take the heat off their activities by catching the child killer themselves. Once the killer is fingered, he is marked with the letter "M" chalked on his back. He is tracked down and captured by the combined forces of the Berlin criminal community, who put him on trial for his life in a kangaroo court. The killer pleads for mercy, whining that he can't control his homicidal instincts. The police close in and rescue the killer from the underworld so that he can stand trial again.

Some prints of the film end with a caution to the audience to watch after their children more carefully. The film is dark and menacing as befits such a subject. It serves to remind us that sadly this is not a new phenomenon in our society. M remains one of the most chilling serial killer films ever produced.