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The King of Comedy

Play trailer Poster for The King of Comedy PG 1983 1h 41m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 73 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) is a failure in life but a celebrity in his own mind, hosting an imaginary talk show in his mother's basement. When he meets actual talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis), he's convinced it will provide his big break, but Langford isn't interested in the would-be comedian. Undaunted, Pupkin effectively stalks Langford -- and when that doesn't work, he kidnaps him, offering his release in exchange for a guest spot on Langford's show.
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The King of Comedy

The King of Comedy

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Critics Consensus

Largely misunderstood upon its release, The King of Comedy today looks eerily prescient, and features a fine performance by Robert DeNiro as a strangely sympathetic psychopath.

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Critics Reviews

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Michael Sauter Entertainment Weekly 10/10/2023
B+
Like Travis Bickle, Rupert Pupkin becomes a celebrity in spite of -- and because of -- his antisocial behavior. The overnight success of this borderline psycho is as chillingly ironic as the taxi driver’s was cathartic. Go to Full Review
Pauline Kael The New Yorker 09/19/2023
A great actor merges his soul with that of his characters -- or, at least, gives us the illusion that he does. De Niro in disguise denies his characters a soul. Go to Full Review
Bob Thomas Associated Press 10/17/2018
Scorsese is capable of building tension, but what is he trying to achieve? A comedy about the nature of fame? But he evokes only the most nervous of laughter. Go to Full Review
Andrew Collins Radio Times 08/08/2024
5/5
Jerry Lewis is magnificent as the chilly old pro and chat-show king Jerry Langford, and Scorsese gives us another New York, the cruel but bewitching network TV capital of America. Go to Full Review
KT Mahe For Your Reference Podcast 02/06/2024
5/5
Scorsese and De Niro offer a mirror reflective of celebrity and thirst for fame through the charming delusion in King of Comedy. Go to Full Review
Oti For Your Reference Podcast 02/06/2024
4.5/5
King of Comedy shines with its unparalleled storytelling. Timeless and captivating, it's a testament to cinema that remains thoroughly enjoyable. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Juan Carlos O @juanolivares Nov 24 Viéndola por primera vez en 2025 y me encantó ❤️ See more Stephen C @bob25009 Nov 11 Funny in 1 hour, 49 minutes, and 01 second!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Copyright 1983-2025 by New Regency!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Starring Jerry Lewis and Robert De Niro!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more nick s Aug 10 A bit slow and not a very complex story, but a great character movie. Excellent performances. See more Brent A Jul 27 10% rating ... Critics may say that Robert DeNiro's character is a "strangely sympathetic psychopath". Personally, I felt no sympathy, which made it difficult to follow this character and made me dislike this film despite a decent storyline and acting. See more Kevin P Jul 9 A great dark comedy by Martin Scorsese with some excellent satire on fame and celebrity culture. Robert DiNiro and Jerry Lewis are both great playing against type. The film still holds up today with its spot-on commentary on fandom culture and people trying to get their moment in the spotlight at any cost (lord knows what Rupert Pupkin would do in the viral era of attention-seekers). The film Has an excellent set design that's vibrant with colors and unique costumes. There are several fantasy sequences that reveal more of Rupert Pupkin's psyche and desires, in that embarrassing wish fulfillment kind that we've all daydreamer about at some point, except he doesn't have the slightest but of self awareness that these are far-fetch delusions. Though I must say, his talk show basement is pretty cool despite the obvious creep factor. The film can be hard to watch at times, but in the best way possible with Rupert Pupkin's complete lack of self awareness at how uncomfortable he makes everyone. And you really feel bad for how frequent celebrities like Jerry get pestered and stalked by fans on an everyday basis. It all leads up to an insane with Rupert Pupkin finally getting his chance at the spotlight in the craziest way possible. I like that Rupert's comedy material is revealed to be decent after all that mayhem. Which makes it even more frustrating that he chose all those dirty short cuts at a cheap shot at grabbing fame though scandal instead of working his way to the top through stand-up. With a great ending that feels open-ended to interpretation. The film has great commentary on celebrity culture and desperate fame-seeking that feels timeless and ahead of its time. You can definitely see all the influences that 2019's Joker took note from. It's a great dark comedy and easily one of Martin Scorsese's most underrated in my book. See more Clinton R @CWRoss48 Jun 17 Dreadful. The constant machine-gun unpunctuated sentences in the artificial Neew Yourk accent obnoxiously spewing from Deniro provides, in short order (1) a headache, and (2) a pledge to remember that every character in the movie is unidimensional: awful. Shame on the talentless cameos. See more Read all reviews
The King of Comedy

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Movie Info

Synopsis Rupert Pupkin (Robert De Niro) is a failure in life but a celebrity in his own mind, hosting an imaginary talk show in his mother's basement. When he meets actual talk show host Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis), he's convinced it will provide his big break, but Langford isn't interested in the would-be comedian. Undaunted, Pupkin effectively stalks Langford -- and when that doesn't work, he kidnaps him, offering his release in exchange for a guest spot on Langford's show.
Director
Martin Scorsese
Producer
Arnon Milchan
Screenwriter
Paul Zimmerman
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Embassy International Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 18, 1983, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 8, 2015
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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