--- title: "M: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/m/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/m" critics_score: 90 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # M (1931): what the critics said Critics' score 90 from 9 reviews: 8 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics regard M as a gripping thriller whose force rests on Peter Lorre’s performance and Fritz Lang’s handling of sound and images. Lorre draws particular praise for making the killer pitiable without making him less frightening. The reviews repeatedly credit sound, cutaways and attention to objects with building tension without relying on action. Praise also clusters around the film’s depiction of paranoia, mob justice and a society whose sickness extends beyond the man being hunted. The spread is largely enthusiastic, with differences more often about emphasis than objections. Empire reads the film as a powerful case against capital punishment; other reviews concentrate on hypocrisy and shifting sympathies. Den of Geek supplies the more guarded rating, though its account still praises the pacing and examination of authority and justice. Few substantial reservations emerge from the reviews, even where the marks differ. ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 4/5/5. 4 September 2014. The critic calls it one of the all-time greats for its groundbreaking imagery and moral ambiguities in depicting the killer and society. They highlight Peter Lorre's performance and the film's exploration of mob justice and ironies. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/m-1931) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 5/5. 2 September 2014. The review describes it as a devastating serial killer template that retains its gripping power, focusing on mob justice and human weakness. It singles out the convincing portrait of a sick society and Peter Lorre's pitiable performance as the killer. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/m-3) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The film is an unqualified masterpiece and an undeniable classic that makes a powerful case against capital punishment while pioneering forensic policing on screen. It is dominated by Peter Lorre's peerless performance as the child killer. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/m-review/) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 20 December 2004. The critic praises the film for giving depth and sympathy to its central figure while examining societal sickness and hypocrisy. They highlight Peter Lorre's performance and Lang's innovative use of sound and visuals in his first talkie. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/m-1798200252) ## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2014. The critic praises Fritz Lang's 1931 masterpiece as a superb thriller that still fascinates on re-release, with its depiction of paranoia and a feverish atmosphere around the hunt for a child killer uniting police and criminals. Peter Lorre's performance as the tormented murderer and the film's innovative use of sound and visual details like fetishised smoking are singled out. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/sep/04/m-review-fritz-lang) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan 9 April 2013. The restored film remains gripping and effective more than 80 years later as a taut masterpiece about a city hunting a child murderer. Turan singles out Peter Lorre's pitiable yet terrifying performance and the film's inventive sound design and camera work for praise. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2013-apr-09-la-et-mn-m-review20130405-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert 3 August 1997. The film is a powerful portrait of a diseased society filled with grotesque characters and a palpable hatred for early 1930s Germany. Ebert singles out the haunting faces of the actors and Peter Lorre's compelling performance as the killer for particular note. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-m-1931) ## Slant Magazine — Chris Cabin 10 March 2013. The critic hails the film as a genre-establishing masterpiece whose urgency has not aged. They single out Lang's masterful use of sound design, objects, symbols, and montage to convey terror and humanity. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/m/) ## The New York Times 3 April 1933. The film is an extraordinarily effective and strong cinematic work with remarkably fine acting. The reviewer notes that its morbid and shocking narrative about a demented child murderer, though left largely to the imagination, makes for compelling but disturbing viewing. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1933/04/03/archives/the-daesseldorf-murders.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff 31 December 1930. An extraordinary, impressive and strong first talkie from Fritz Lang and Thea von Harbou. The reviewer praises the realistic police and underworld chase sequences and Peter Lorre's gripping performance as the murderer pleading for understanding of his pathology. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1930/film/reviews/m-1200410438/) ## Collider — Cameron Olsen Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2021. The critic praises Fritz Lang's M as a chilling, misanthropic masterpiece that anticipated film noir, highlighting its economical narrative, use of sound, and Peter Lorre's performance, while noting its cynical view of society and possible response to rising Nazism. [Read the review](https://collider.com/fritz-lang-m-best-noir/) ## Paste — Jim Vorel Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 August 2019. The critic selects M as the best horror film of 1931 over Universal monsters, commending Lang's innovative use of sound to build suspense and Peter Lorre's vulnerable yet haunting performance that complicates notions of evil in the film's powerful climax. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/horror-movies/best-horror-movie-of-1931-m-fritz-lang) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 6 September 2014. The critic calls it a taut chiller that skillfully shifts audience sympathies. They praise its sophisticated approach to the serial killer narrative and social commentary, noting its enduring relevance. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/m-1931-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) ## Den of Geek — Dave Adamson Rating 3/5. 14 January 2010. The critic highlights the film's gripping pace through inventive cutaways and object shots that build tension without relying on action sequences, along with its examination of authority, paranoia, and justice. They note its continued relevance and the strong restoration quality. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/fritz-langs-m-dvd-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/m.md