Citizen X (1995)
Genre: Thriller / Mystery
Duration: 105 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Chris Gerolmo
Stars: Stephen Rea, Donald Sutherland and Jeffrey DeMunn
IMDb score:
7,4 (24.542)
Releasedate: 25 February 1995
Citizen X plot
"You don't want to know what he does... You just want to know when he's caught."
In the early 1980s, the police found eight mutilated corpses in a forest near the Russian town of Rostov. Doctor Victor Burakov (Stephen Rea) is convinced that this is the work of a serial killer, but the Communist Party disagrees. The Party believes that serial killers only belong in the West and they set up a committee that comes to roughly the same conclusion. One committee member, Colonel Fetisov (Donald Sutherland), sees something in Burakov's theory and allows him to continue his investigation into the killer. As Burakov delves further into the matter, he is increasingly opposed by the Party. This thriller is based on the story of the real Rostov killer, the man who killed 52 people over a period of eight years.
Actors and actresses
Lt. Viktor Burakov
Col. Mikhail Fetisov
Dr. Alexandr Bukhanovsky
Andrei Chikatilo
Bondarchuk
Gorbunov
Federenko
Mrs. Burakov
Ignatiev
Procurator
Reviews & comments
PCTERN
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- 256 messages
- 203 votes
One of the better if not the best serial killer movies I've seen, especially since the true story is a thriller in itself.
The story about one of the most notorious serial killers ever (Chikatilo) and the man who hunted him for 12 years (police colonel Burakov), set against the backdrop of the old communist regime that saw these kinds of phenomena as something Western and even protected the killer given his membership of the Communist Party. This allowed him to continue for 6 years after his first arrest in 1984. In 1990 he was finally caught after a massive manhunt with large-scale deployment of the army, help from a psychiatrist and consultation with the FBI BSU (known from Criminal Minds) to Westers. fashion model.
The atmosphere of the old Soviet Union is well portrayed without it becoming long-winded, the characters are sufficiently developed and the doggedness and frustration of Burakov is perfectly portrayed by Rea. Sutherland also does an excellent job as the local commander. Jeffrey DeMunn (Chikatilo) isn't Anthony Hopkins, of course, but he isn't bad either. Almost strange that Stephen Rea has hardly been seen in good films after that.
The story is well told and everything is told well without becoming too much of a docudrama like the stories about Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy that have been made into movies. I think there's always a risk if you're going to film these kinds of things. However, the story could have been explored a little more with half an hour of extra film length. Later this was tried with a 2nd film Child44 that was inspired by the Chikatilo case but was pure fiction, something that was not really successful.
scorsese
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- 12597 messages
- 10671 votes
Excellent film in which a doctor is charged with the task of finding a serial killer. The film is set in the 1980s in communist Russia, and this influences the investigation and therefore drags on for years. The determination of the main character is well portrayed by Stephen Rea. Based on a gripping, exciting and true story.
Brabants
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- 2851 messages
- 2129 votes
Citizen X is a very fascinating film about a very morbid figure. The acting is so incredibly good that you just feel everything through marrow and bone. The former Soviet is difficult to cooperate and then it must have had major consequences, as became clear. Nice movie!
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