Skip to content
MovieCove
Fritz Lang

Fritz Lang

Director, writer, producer and actor, also editor · Died August 2, 1976, aged 85 · Vienna, Austria

Friedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang (December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976) was an Austrian-German film director, screenwriter, and occasional film producer and actor. One of the best known émigrés from Germany's school of Expressionism, he was dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute. Andrew Sarris in his influential book of film criticism The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 included him in the "pantheon" of the 14 greatest film directors who had worked in the United States. Lang's most famous films are the groundbreaking science-fiction film Metropolis (1927) - the world's most expensive silent film at the time of its release - and the influential thriller film M (1931), made before he moved to the United States. Lang's work had a significant influence on the film noir genre and in Hollywood, he made some classics himself, such as Scarlet Street (1945) and The Big Heat (1953).

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 5, 1890
Died
August 2, 1976 (aged 85)
From
Vienna, Austria
Works as
Director, writer, producer and actor, also editor
Titles
38 on MovieCove · 68 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

What are Fritz Lang's films like?

Across their 37 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Crime16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 87th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
43%
Bonds
22%
Power
13%
Survival
10%
Self
9%
Society
2%
Ideas
1%
Romantic love12 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice12 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge7 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception8 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal6 titles, browse their movies with this themeMarriage4 titles, browse their movies with this themePower4 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 37 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 5 · Serious 13 · Dark 19

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 19 · Heightened 13

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 21 · Intense 16

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 9 · Shifting 25 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 36 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 11 · Even-paced 25 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 6 · Engaged 25 · Full focus 6

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 6 · Affecting 15 · Heavy 16

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 25 · Open-ended 10 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
32
Melancholic
20
Thrilling
9
Dread
9
Romantic
6
Other
17

How their films linger

Haunting17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 10 with a twist

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet19
  • Tragic7
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Fritz Lang's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 38 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (13).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Fritz Lang's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

68 credits, 38 with a MovieCove page; 15 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Sibyl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    as (Archive footage)

  • The Word According to Whoopi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · Sound Mixer

  • Metropolis(2001)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Fritz Lang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    Actor

  • M the Damned (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Original Film Writer

  • For Example Fritz Lang (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Actor

  • Contempt(1963)

    as Fritz Lang

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Journey to the Lost City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The 1,000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse(1960)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Indian Tomb(1959)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Tiger of Eschnapur(1959)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Beyond a Reasonable Doubt(1956)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • While the City Sleeps(1956)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Moonfleet(1955)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Human Desire(1954)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Big Heat(1953)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Black Vampire (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Original Film Writer

  • The Blue Gardenia(1953)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Clash by Night(1952)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Rancho Notorious(1952)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • M (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Original Story

  • American Guerrilla in the Philippines(1950)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all films

  • House by the River(1950)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Secret Beyond the Door...(1947)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Cloak and Dagger(1946)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Scarlet Street(1945)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Woman in the Window(1944)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Ministry of Fear(1944)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Hangmen Also Die!(1943)

    Director · Adaptation · Original Story · Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Moontide(1942)

    Co-Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Confirm or Deny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Co-Director

  • Man Hunt(1941)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Western Union(1941)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Return of Frank James(1940)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • You and Me(1938)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • You Only Live Once(1937)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Fury(1936)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Liliom (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Director · Writer

  • The Testament of Dr. Mabuse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Director

  • The Testament of Dr. Mabuse(1933)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • M(1931)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Woman in the Moon(1929)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Spies(1928)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Metropolis(1927)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge(1924)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Die Nibelungen: Siegfried(1924)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Mabuse, the Gambler(1922)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Indian Tomb, Part II: The Tiger of Eschnapur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Writer

  • The Indian Tomb, Part I: The Mission of the Yoghi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Writer

  • Destiny(1921)

    Director · Editor · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Four Around the Woman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director · Screenplay

  • The Wandering Image (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director · Writer

  • The Spiders: Part 2 - The Diamond Ship (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director · Writer

  • The Mistress of the World, Part VIII: The Revenge of Maud Fergusson (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Writer

  • Harakiri (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • The Dance of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Screenplay

  • The Plague of Florence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Screenplay

  • The Spiders - Episode 1: The Golden Sea(1919)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Master of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Actor

  • Half-Blood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Screenplay

  • Bettler GmbH (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Writer

  • Die Frau mit den Orchideen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Writer

  • Die Rache ist mein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Writer

  • Lilith and Ly (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Writer

  • Wolkenbau und Flimmerstern (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Writer

  • Hilde Warren and Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Writer · Actor

  • Die Hochzeit im Excentricclub (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Screenplay

  • Die Peitsche (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Screenplay

Career shape

A full career of 67 titles from 1916 to 2025.

Biggest box office

Cloak and Dagger (1946)

$9.7M worldwide

Highest rated

Metropolis (1927)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

M (1931)

Film career

  • 1963Screen debut· Contempt

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting6 of 67: 4 only acting, 2 with another roleDirecting46 of 67: 22 only directing, 24 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdWriting36 of 67: 15 only writing, 21 with another role · typical Midcredits score93rdProducing7 of 67: 0 only producing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score88thEditing1 of 67: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 67: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

67 titles, 25 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 20 of them.

By decade

1910s14 · 2 acting · 14 crew1920s13 · crew1930s7 · crew1940s11 · crew1950s14 · crew1960s4 · 2 acting · 2 crew1980s1 · crew1990s1 · acting2000s1 · crew2020s1 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Fritz Lang's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 84th percentile, the median of all 38; across their 37 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 80th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Approval · how many liked their films

86thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Reach · how many have seen their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 37

Midcredits score across 38 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up26
  • 50th to 74th11
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

None of their 38 titles divides audiences: 25 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved11
  • Crowd Pleaser25
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed1

Most loved · director, writer, editor

Metropolis (1927)

Midcredits 98th · 86% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 77/100 and the pacing 50/100 in their films, across 37 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Fritz Lang's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore8 titles29–51 · median 43 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles5–48 · median 18 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity7 titles0–39 · median 7 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs7 titles30–52 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense10 titles35–55 · median 48 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Fritz Lang work with?

People who share at least 2 of Fritz Lang's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Thea von Harbou shares the most, 12.

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles