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Joss Ackland, András Bálint, Geza Balkay, Ion Caramitru, Jeffrey DeMunn ... see more see more... , Ralph Nossek , Stephen Rea , Tusse Silberg , Imelda Staunton , Donald Sutherland , Max von Sydow , Miklós Székely B. , Chris Gerolmo , John Wood , Murray Ewan , Zoltan Gera , Simon Gevai , Czeslaw Grocholski , Istvan Hunyadkurthy , György Miklósy , Denes Ujlaky , Mihály Szabados

Stephen Rea stars as a relentless Russian investigator in this made-for-cable thriller. Based on an actual case, this taut film tells the story of Burakov (Rea), a Russian forensic pathologist assigne... read more read more...d to track down a brutal serial killer who is targeting young drifters. The nature of the assignment takes its toll on Burakov's personal life, as he tracks the killer for years despite the red-tape and bureaucracy of the Soviet state. Nominated for several awards overall that year, Donald Sutherland won an Emmy and a Golden Globe Award for his co-starring role as Rea's supportive superior, Fetisov. The movie was filmed in Hungary. ~ Bernadette McCallion, Rovi

Flixster Users

85% liked it

4,031 ratings

Critics

86% liked it

7 critics

R, 1 hr. 43 min.

Directed by: Chris Gerolmo

Release Date: February 25, 1995

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DVD Release Date: July 11, 2000

Stats: 242 reviews

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Stephen Rea Donald Sutherland Citizen X Jeffrey DeMunn Joss Ackland Burakov meets with Party "Bureacrats" Stephen Rea
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Flixster Reviews (242)

  • imrealgod
    January 26, 2011
    imrealgod
    This serial-killer TV film by HBO is an incredible piece of work. It has almost all the required elements of its genre in adequate proportion. Although it takes a limited number of cinematic liberties, it's done only to heighten the effect, and it works big time.

    The brilliantly... read more outstanding performance by Stephen Rea is one of the best performances I've ever come through. His portrayal of his character Burakov is very realistic. He literally feels life into his character. Donald Sutherland could have done better, IMHO.

    All in all, it's a great movie based on real events, and any fan of this genre shouldn't miss it.
  • rubystevens
    August 19, 2009
    rubystevens
    well done hbo film based on the case of ukrainian serial killer andrei chikatilo, convicted of killing 52 women and children. good cast including donald sutherland and max von sydow. stephen rea plays the investigator who followed the case for seven years despite much interfere... read morence from soviet bureaucracy. patchy russian accents but very factual
  • 76Majikat
    July 13, 2008
    76Majikat
    Despite this film being a true story and an horific tale, the actual film isn't one to hold your attention too well. A likeable part by Donald Sutherland (I guess you would need to be Russian to say whether the cast managed to pull the accents off well).
  • DrBenway
    March 26, 2008
    DrBenway
    Interesting look at a true story of a manhunt for real-life serial killer Andrei Chikatilo in a communist state.
    The problem was long ignored by officials citing "Serial Killing" as an epidemic that could only happen in western civilization.

    Oh, yeah...Stephen Rea, Donald S... read moreutherland and Emperor Ming von Sydow are awesome.
  • gator681
    August 29, 2005
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]"Citizen X" is a made for HBO movie which is based on a real story. It is 1982 in Rostov-on-Don in the former Soviet Union. A body is found by a farmer plowing his fields and brought to a local forensics expert, Viktor Burakov(Stephen Rea). Burakov sends a... read more detective back to the scene to search for evidence. The detective along with his cohorts return with seven more bodies. Burakov's investigation is brought to the attention of the local committee headed by the wily Colonel Mikhail Fetisov(Donald Sutherland).[/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]First, I have officially seen too many movies about serial killers to count(but I did like the short lived Fox series "The Inside". Go figure...) but luckily "Citizen X" spends more time examining the crumbling bureaucratic structure of the Soviet Union. In this way, I found the movie fascinating and it reminded me of the recent South Korean film "Memories of a Murder", also based on a true story. The point here being that non-free societies may not be the best place to investigate crime unless you want to beat a confession out of a suspect. [/font]
    [font=Century Gothic][/font]
    [font=Century Gothic]Sutherland and Rea are perfectly fine. Max von Sydow has a showy cameo. But I thought it was an especially wise choice not to use a name actor in the role of the murderer(don't worry. I'm not giving anything away here.). Jeffrey DeMunn plays a character who is both ordinary and frightening at the same time.[/font]
  • fb704730572
    August 13, 2011
    fb704730572
    Citizen X is another excellent film by HBO, delivering a somber, atmospheric, and fact-based serial killer movie. It doesn't rely on cheap scares or cliches, rather focuses on character development, and the political realities that made this case so unique. Stephen Rea was incred... read moreible, conveying an immense amount of emotion and depth without having to say anything.
  • bcavros
    November 18, 2010
    bcavros
    Like many great movies this one allows you to see the world through someone else's eyes. The visions are not colored or altered in any way you really get a sense of the challenge of Bukarov's challenge. A very tightly directed non-fiction movie, more about the evolution of worki... read moreng as a police detective under the communist bureaucracy than anything else.
    Stephan Rea plays unpolished coroner who is thrust into the investigation of a serial killer as more of a fall guy (his ulterior motive is to get a raise and a two bedroom apartment for his family). The party leaders would rather have the murder of children continue and cover them up than acknowledge a serial killer could be created anywhere except decadent western societies. The only person in Rea's side is Donald Sutherland a polished coronel who knows his way through the system. The unlikely pair over the period of years develop mutual respect for each other abilities.
    This could have been one of the best movies of 1995 and I missed it don't do the same. The jacket for the movie does no justice to the great film inside. with the HBO stamp I figured I had seen bits of it and it was just not that memorable, but I was mistaken. If you enjoy any CSI or such this is a must see movie.
  • broadwaymo
    April 21, 2007
    broadwaymo
    It's been a while since I've seen this and don't remember all the details. But, I do remember that it was a well done story. Needs to be added to my list of movies to see, again.
  • Sportin
    September 25, 2011
    Sportin
    Good movie about how the Communist regime in the '80s subverted a Russian investigator's attempt to capture a serial killer.
  • daftkitty
    October 28, 2008
    daftkitty
    Really excellent thriller, based on a true story. Nothing flashy, just good acting and a solid script.

View All Citizen X Reviews

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz
November 6, 2010
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Based on the true story of a Russian serial killer. Full Review

Stefan Birgir Stefansson
April 3, 2006
Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is

One of the best serial killer movie i have seen

Scott Weinberg
July 25, 2002
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

Fascinating and absorbing. One of HBO's finest made-for-cable flicks.

Jonathan Taylor
March 26, 2009
Jonathan Taylor, Variety

Click to read the article Full Review

Emanuel Levy
July 19, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Dragan Antulov
January 31, 2003
Dragan Antulov, rec.arts.movies.reviews

No review available.

Nicolas Lacroix
November 16, 2002
Nicolas Lacroix, Showbizz.net

No review available.

Philip Martin
July 30, 2002
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

No review available.

June 15, 2004
Film4

Click to read the article Full Review

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Citizen X Trivia

  • In the movie "Citizen X" Donald Southerland plays a Government official trying to catch which serial killer:  Answer »
  • what movie is base on the life of the russian serial killer Andrei chikatilo?  Answer »
  • This actor appears in "Citizen X" and also in the Pet Shop Boys' video "Always on my mind". Who is he?  Answer »
  • Which Interview with the Vampire actor starred as a troubled detective investigating child murders in true-life film Citizen X?  Answer »
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