M (1931)

M parents guide

There is no US rating to lean on, so here is what we tagged: real scares and strong violence.

Scare

Properly scary

Frightening, not just tense.

Jump scares

None noted

Gore

Light gore

Some blood or injury, briefly.

Violence

Strong violence

Violence is frequent or intense.

Sex and nudity

None flagged

It has no US rating to check against, so treat our zero as unconfirmed.

Language

None flagged

It has no US rating to check against, so treat our zero as unconfirmed.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is M scary?

Yes, properly. M is the real thing without being an endurance test.

How gory is M?

Light gore and strong violence.

What is M about?

In this classic German thriller, Hans Beckert, a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt. Beckert's heinous crimes are so repellant and disruptive to city life that he is even targeted by others in the seedy underworld network. With both cops and criminals in pursuit, the murderer soon realizes that people are on his trail, sending him into a tense, panicked attempt to escape justice.

Cast and crew

More like M

• The Silence of the Lambs (1991)Properly scary · graphic gore · strong violence · emotionally devastatingA brilliant, imprisoned psychopath offers chilling insights into a serial killer's mind, if a young agent dares to listen.
• Memories of Murder (2003)Gritty · graphic gore · strong violence · emotionally devastatingIn 1980s Korea, desperate detectives pursue a sadistic killer, their conflicting methods creating a bleak, tense atmosphere.
• Prisoners (2013)Suspenseful · light gore · strong violence · emotionally devastatingA father's desperate search for his missing daughter descends into a bleak, gritty, and atmospheric nightmare.
• Se7en (1995)Properly scary · extreme gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingTwo detectives hunt a serial killer whose gruesome crimes are meticulously based on the seven deadly sins.
• Joker (2019)Bleak · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingA measured descent into madness unfolds as a comedian's dark satire fuels Gotham's gritty, bleak chaos.
• Parasite (2019)Darkly comic · graphic gore · brutal violence · emotionally devastatingA poor family's grift of the wealthy Parks escalates into a darkly comic and bleakly suspenseful class struggle.
• Shutter Island (2010)Suspenseful · light gore · strong violence · emotionally devastatingA marshal's investigation into a missing patient unravels amidst chilling visions and a pervasive sense of dread.
• The Night of the Hunter (1955)Properly scary · light gore · strong violence · emotionally heavyA chilling Depression-era fable unfolds as children flee a murderous preacher obsessed with their dark secret.

M is on our Scary, not gory; Mob and gangsters; Noir and neo-noir; German; and Classics (pre-1970) lists.

More like this feeling

Prompts we typed into CouchRot, and the lists that share its tags.

• “a thriller with a twist, no spoilers”
• “a movie that will make me cry”
• “scary but not gory”

Lists with the same feel: Tearjerkers.