Citizen Kane

Play trailer

3:44

Citizen Kane

PG

Released May 1, 1941

1h 59m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

133 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."

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Tom Huddleston

Time Out

It remains as witty, tragic, unlikely, unique and fascinating as ever.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 12, 2024

Full Review

Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

Genuinely innovative film-making.

Jan 18, 2024

Full Review

Ida Belle Hicks

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

We aren't going to quibble about the genius business. Time will take care of that and if Welles goes down in history as one well be happy to have been among those who enjoyed the results of his great talent.

Mar 2, 2021

Full Review

David Parkinson

Radio Times

Utterly unmissable.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 1, 2024

Full Review

Noah Gittell

Washington City Paper

Kane innovated several filmmaking techniques. The film pioneered a genre.

Sep 14, 2023

Full Review

Manuel São Bento

MSB Reviews

Everything about this movie's production and origin, the precedent-setting technical aspects, and the innovative storytelling all prove that Orson Welles was a perfectionist filmmaker far ahead of its time.

Rated: A+

Jul 24, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Kia B

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.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/08/25

Full Review

R

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!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/08/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/08/25

Full Review

Patrick D

Muy fome la película, wea mala.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/08/25

Full Review

Vidhu K

Each camera gesture, each cut has such an exuberance that never lets up.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/23/25

Full Review

randomshjt 2.

Quite possibly the most overrated film of all time and it’s really boring

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/20/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Orson Welles

Director

Orson Welles

Charles Foster Kane

Joseph Cotten

Jedediah Leland

Ruth Warrick

Emily Norton Kane

Everett Sloane

Bernstein

Agnes Moorehead

Mrs. Mary Kane

Reefer Madness

39%

37%

Reefer Madness

Watchlist

Casablanca

99%

95%

Casablanca

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Casablanca

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

94%

91%

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Watchlist

A Streetcar Named Desire

97%

89%

A Streetcar Named Desire

Watchlist

Picnic

45%

54%

Picnic

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Citizen Kane: Trailer 1

3:44

View more videos

View more photos

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
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 28, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $977.3K
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Academy (1.33:1)

Most Popular at Home Now