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Crime drama

Citizen X (1995): Cast & Plot

Citizen X (1995) movie poster

Citizen X is a 1995 crime drama starring Stephen Rea as Lt. Viktor Burakov, Imelda Staunton and Donald Sutherland. It runs 1 hour 45 minutes.

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Watch the trailer Read the plot summary
Citizen X (1995) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 45m (105 min)
Genres
Drama , Crime
Original language
English
Studio
HBO
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Citizen X About?

The premise of Citizen X without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

You’re terrified of his crimes, but you want to see him finally caught. Based on the true story of a Soviet serial killer who murdered more than 50 victims, most under 17. In the Soviet Union, police work is stymied by bureaucracy, incompetence, and political interference. The narrative follows the lead detective as he pursues the case.

Citizen X Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • serial killer
  • bureaucracy
  • reference to andrei romanovich chikatilo
  • serial child murderer
  • forensics
  • investigation
  • detective
  • execution
  • discovering a dead body
  • shallow grave
  • sexual sadism
  • murder of a child
+38 more
  • communism
  • child murderer
  • sexual violence
  • bare chested male
  • dead child
  • sexual deviant
  • sadistic murderer
  • serial child murder
  • perestroika
  • year 1990
  • foreigner playing russian character
  • british actor playing foreigner
  • husband wife relationship
  • post soviet russia
  • murderer
  • sexual murder
  • sexual assault
  • sexual perversion
  • dead children
  • train
  • 1980s
  • soviet union
  • russia
  • based on true story
  • homophobia
  • impotence
  • abberation
  • arrest
  • cannibal
  • crying man
  • dead body
  • decomposing body
  • docudrama
  • forest
  • homicide
  • interrogation
  • little boy
  • man wears eyeglasses
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Cast & crew

Citizen X Cast & Characters

Stephen Rea leads the cast as Lt. Viktor Burakov, with Imelda Staunton as Mrs. Burakov and Donald Sutherland as Col. Mikhail Fetisov.

Also Starring in Citizen X

· 48 more
Show all 52 cast members
Plot

Citizen X Plot Summary

What happens in Citizen X from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

On a 1982 harvest day at a Soviet collective farm, a body is found, kicking off a chilling investigation that extends into the surrounding woods. A follow‑up search uncovers seven more corpses at different stages of decay, and the case quickly spirals into a sprawling pursuit of a serial killer who would go on to claim 53 victims, 52 of them under the age of 35. The heart of the story centers on Viktor Burakov, the newly assigned detective and forensic specialist who is pressed to unravel a puzzle that the system has tried to keep under wraps. He is not alone in the hunt: his commanding officer, Col.

Full summary

The whole story of Citizen X, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Videos

Citizen X Trailers & Videos

2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 clip.

CitizenX
  • Clip Citizen X Best Scene
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Citizen X?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

Who plays the lead detective Viktor Burakov?
Cars

Cars in Citizen X

18 cars on screen, including the 1976 Lada 1200 2101 and the 1962 FSO Warszawa 201.

All 18 cars
  • 1976 Lada 1200 2101 in Citizen X 1976 Lada 1200 2101 Important role
  • 1962 FSO Warszawa 201 in Citizen X 1962 FSO Warszawa 201 Minor role
  • 1985 GAZ 3102 Volga in Citizen X 1985 GAZ 3102 Volga Minor role
  • 1976 Mercedes-Benz W123 in Citizen X 1976 Mercedes-Benz W123 Minor role
Details

Citizen X Also Known As

17 alternative titles, including “Le Citoyen X” and “Cittadino X”.

Also known as
  • Le Citoyen X
  • Cittadino X
  • X polgártárs
  • Cidadão X
  • Ciudadano X
  • Občan X
  • Гражданин Икс
  • האזרח X
  • Obywatel X
  • Гражданинът Х
  • 公民X
  • Pilsonis X
+5 more
  • 獵殺X計劃
  • 시티즌 X
  • El Ciudadano X
  • Громадянин ікс
  • 獵殺 X 計劃

Seen Citizen X?
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Movies Like Citizen X

Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including X - The eXploited, Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion and Law Abiding Citizen.

FAQ

Citizen X FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date

Runtime, release date, cast and post-credit scenes of Citizen X, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Citizen X?

Citizen X runs 1 hour 45 minutes (105 minutes).

When was Citizen X released?

Citizen X was released on February 25, 1995.

Who is in the cast of Citizen X?

Citizen X stars Stephen Rea as Lt. Viktor Burakov, Imelda Staunton as Mrs. Burakov and Donald Sutherland as Col. Mikhail Fetisov, among 52 credited actors.

Does Citizen X have a post-credit scene?

No. Citizen X has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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