M - Einen Stadt sucht einen Mörder (M)

A psychopathic child murderer on the loose in Berlin creates panic among mothers and in the underworld whose members are hounded by the police in their search for the killer. The police tries in vain to catch him, but in the end he is trapped by the denizens of the underworld and condemned to death by their leader. The police arrive just in time to prevent his execution. Lang's first sound film is a masterpiece of low-keyed expressionism, in which fear permeates every brick of the dark alleys and crumbling buildings which form its background. Peter Lorre became world famous for his portrayal of the murderer, an outwardly gentle man who is trapped by his mental sickness and afraid to discover himself.