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Fritz Lang

Austrian filmmaker (1890–1976)

9.90body-of-work score · ranked #86 of 2631 directors · 20 films in our library

A director's score is the sum of their films' composite canon scores — methodology.

Born
December 5, 1890 · Vienna
Died
August 2, 1976 · Beverly Hills
Nationality
Germany, United States, Austria
Work
film director, screenwriter, actor, film editor
Movement
Expressionism
Reference
Wikipedia · Wikidata
Portrait of Fritz Lang
Joost Evers / Anefo · CC BY-SA 3.0

Films in our library, ranked

Ranked by composite canon score across 20+ authoritative lists, awards and polls — our ordering, with every placement citing its evidence on the film's page.

  1. 1
    MetropolisMust-See #314

    1927 · Weimar Republic · silent, drama, sci-fi

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #67 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1929 #4 · TIME All-TIME 100

    2.189 citations
  2. 2
    M

    1931 · Germany / Weimar Republic · thriller, film-noir, drama

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #36 · Letterboxd Top 250 #175 · Empire 500 (2008) #212

    1.668 citations
  3. 3
    The Big Heat

    1953 · United States · film-noir, drama, mystery

    National Film Registry (inducted 2011) · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Criterion Collection spine #1269

    0.916 citations
  4. 4
    Fury

    1936 · United States · drama, crime

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1937 #10 · National Film Registry (inducted 1995) · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

    0.794 citations
  5. 5
    You Only Live Once

    1937 · United States · drama, crime, film-noir

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1937 #9 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies

    0.694 citations
  6. 6
    Dr. Mabuse the GamblerDr. Mabuse, der Spieler

    1922 · Germany · silent, thriller, crime

    Scorsese's 39 essential foreign films · Kurosawa's 100 favorite films · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.523 citations
  7. 7
    Moonfleet

    1954 · United States · action, adventure, drama

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1960 #8 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.432 citations
  8. 8
    The Tiger of EschnapurDer Tiger von Eschnapur

    1959 · Germany / Italy / France · drama, romance, adventure

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1959 #10 · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.402 citations
  9. 9
    The Testament of Dr. MabuseDas Testament des Dr. Mabuse

    1933 · Germany / Weimar Republic / France · crime, horror, drama

    Criterion Collection spine #231 · Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.383 citations
  10. 10
    The Blue Gardenia

    1953 · United States · crime, film-noir, drama

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1954 #8

    0.321 citation
  11. 11
    Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

    1956 · United States · drama, film-noir

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1957 #9

    0.301 citation
  12. 12
    Man Hunt

    1941 · United States · war, crime, thriller

    NYT Best 1,000 Movies · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.282 citations
  13. 13
    You and Me

    1938 · United States · musical, romance, comedy

    Edgar Wright's 1,000 favorite movies · Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.222 citations
  14. 14
    Ministry of Fear

    1944 · United States · thriller, film-noir

    Criterion Collection spine #649

    0.161 citation
  15. 15
    DestinyDer müde Tod

    1921 · German Reich / Germany · silent, drama, fantasy

    Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.111 citation
  16. 16
    SpiesSpione

    1928 · Germany / Weimar Republic · silent, drama, thriller

    Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.111 citation
  17. 17
    Scarlet Street

    1945 · United States · crime, drama, film-noir

    Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.111 citation
  18. 18
    Clash by Night

    1952 · United States · drama, film-noir

    Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.111 citation
  19. 19
    While the City Sleeps

    1956 · United States · film-noir

    Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.111 citation
  20. 20
    The Thousand Eyes of Dr. MabuseDie 1000 Augen des Dr. Mabuse

    1960 · France / Germany / Italy · crime, mystery, sci-fi

    Rosenbaum's Essential Cinema

    0.111 citation

Complete filmography

All 52 directorial credits recorded on Wikidata, in chronological order; films in our library link to their canon-score page.