20 Serial Killer Movies You Must See Before You Die

6. M (1931)

Often regarded as the "original" serial killer movie, Fritz Lang's 1931 masterpiece, M, stars the great Peter Lorre as a child murderer named Hans Beckert, who stalks the streets of Berlin looking for his victims. He's subsequently pursued by the city's inhabitants, the police department and a number of shady characters from the criminal underworld, which sets the stage for a cat and mouse mystery/thriller of surprisingly complex proportions. M is a landmark serial killer film because it dares to explore the psyche of the maniac at its core; Lang doesn't shy away from delving deep into the mind of the killer, who is forced by way of his uncontrollable urges to commit the unforgivable acts witnessed in the picture. As such, M feels like a wholly modern movie, despite the fact it was made in 1931. M has a lot more going for it aside from its serial killer plottings, of course: it is one of the best films of the '30s, a towering achievement of sound and camerawork.