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Citizen Kane

Play trailer 3:44 Poster for Citizen Kane PG In Theaters Jul 5 1h 59m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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99% Tomatometer 134 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
When a reporter is assigned to decipher newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane's (Orson Welles) dying words, his investigation gradually reveals the fascinating portrait of a complex man who rose from obscurity to staggering heights. Though Kane's friend and colleague Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotten), and his mistress, Susan Alexander (Dorothy Comingore), shed fragments of light on Kane's life, the reporter fears he may never penetrate the mystery of the elusive man's final word, "Rosebud."
Coming Soon In Theaters Jul 5 Buy Tickets
Citizen Kane

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Orson Welles's epic tale of a publishing tycoon's rise and fall is entertaining, poignant, and inventive in its storytelling, earning its reputation as a landmark achievement in film.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Kempenaar Filmspotting Jun 21
5/5
I don’t care if Welles was 25 or 85, or if the movie was made in ‘41 or 2014 – we would still rightfully be in awe of the filmmaking. Go to Full Review
Tom Huddleston Time Out 12/12/2024
5/5
It remains as witty, tragic, unlikely, unique and fascinating as ever. Go to Full Review
Wendy Ide The Times (UK) 01/18/2024
Genuinely innovative film-making. Go to Full Review
Bob Ross Tampa Tribune May 28
4/4
Retains a seamless simplicity despite its complex main character. Go to Full Review
David Parkinson Radio Times 07/01/2024
5/5
Utterly unmissable. Go to Full Review
Noah Gittell Washington City Paper 09/14/2023
Kane innovated several filmmaking techniques. The film pioneered a genre. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Kia B Sep 8 Proof that all good classic films should be seen on the big screen. Seeing the issues of my grandparents time shows the more things change, the more they stay the same. See more R Sep 8 A true classic. It's been so homaged and referenced that it may seem cliche but thats BECAUSE it's a classic. The Mise-en-scne and thoughtfulness of the production is breathtaking on the big screen. If you get the chance to see it in a theater, GO! See more cyprien N @cyprien 40m Even after all these years Citizen kane is still an incredible film the storytelling cinematography and powerful themes about ambition success, and loneliness make it feel timeless It's easy to see why it's considered one of the greatest movies ever made. See more Greg S @schmegs 11h One of my favorite movies. See more Kevin F 17h Shows how times and opinions have changed and not for the better. Today Beyonce and Steve O would play the Kanes with a rock score by a no name group. Newspapers would be replaced with drug dealers and Xanadu would be Miralago. See more Wesley H @RT45980449 1d I saw this film about 80 years after it was made because I'd always heard it is one of the greatest films ever made. It's dated, boring and very ordinary. What people see in this is completely beyond me. You'd be better off spending your time watching a Chuck Norris film! If you've got a boring script, you've got a boring film. I don't care if there are inventive film techniques, etc. See more Read all reviews
Citizen Kane

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Movie Info

Synopsis When a reporter is assigned to decipher newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane's (Orson Welles) dying words, his investigation gradually reveals the fascinating portrait of a complex man who rose from obscurity to staggering heights. Though Kane's friend and colleague Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotten), and his mistress, Susan Alexander (Dorothy Comingore), shed fragments of light on Kane's life, the reporter fears he may never penetrate the mystery of the elusive man's final word, "Rosebud."
Director
Orson Welles
Producer
Orson Welles
Screenwriter
Herman J. Mankiewicz, Orson Welles, John Houseman
Distributor
RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co
Mercury Productions, RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 1, 1941, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jul 5, 2026
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 28, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$977.3K
Runtime
1h 59m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Academy (1.33:1)