The King of Comedy

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The King of Comedy

PG

Released Feb 18, 1983

1h 41m

Comedy

Drama

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Popcornmeter

89%

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73 Reviews

90%

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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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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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Michael Sauter

Entertainment Weekly

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.

Rated: B+

Oct 10, 2023

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

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.

Sep 19, 2023

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Bob Thomas

Associated Press

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.

Oct 17, 2018

Full Review

Andrew Collins

Radio Times

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.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 8, 2024

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KT Mahe

For Your Reference Podcast

Scorsese and De Niro offer a mirror reflective of celebrity and thirst for fame through the charming delusion in King of Comedy.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 6, 2024

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Oti

For Your Reference Podcast

King of Comedy shines with its unparalleled storytelling. Timeless and captivating, it's a testament to cinema that remains thoroughly enjoyable.

Rated: 4.5/5

Feb 6, 2024

Full Review

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Clinton R

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.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/17/25

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Audience Member

It's alright. Just very boring...

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/13/25

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Rami A

Although, "The King of Comedy" may be one of Marty Scorsese's weakest films, it still provides great entertainment. This yet, once again, shows how great of an actor Robert De Niro is, and how revolutionary Scorsese's directing is in all of cinema.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/14/25

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Landon J

Precursor to Joker! Has a similar vibe, but lacks the thorough uneasiness of it's spiritual successor. Despite often feeling flat, it's a good watch, and De Niro is always great.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/14/25

Full Review

Petros T

Thanks to a clear-cut premise, good pacing and mostly focused execution, it's a really engaging film throughout. Robert De Niro takes some getting used to in this role, but he does a very good job, and so does Jerry Lewis. Arguably, the film suffers a little from the fact that the protagonist is really unlikable and hard to root for, and certain missteps such as the confusing jump to the country house sequence mar the overall impression more, but for the most part it delivers on its promise.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/11/25

Full Review

Audience Member

A perfect movie. I loved every second of it. 5/5 stars.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/25

Full Review

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Martin Scorsese

Director

Robert De Niro

Rupert Pupkin

Jerry Lewis

Jerry Langford

Sandra Bernhard

Masha

Diahnne Abbott

Rita Keane

Shelley Hack

Cathy Long

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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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