Rating of
3.5/4
Very underated serial killer HBO movie.
mdtinney - wrote on 11/21/09
CITIZEN X is a film that I saw years ago when it first aired on HBO and I've been meaning to revisit for several years. I'm glad I did as the film was just as strong as I remember it being more than 10 years ago. The film is based on the true-crime case of the first confirmed Russian serial-killer, Andrei Chikatilo, who confessed to over 50 murders (mostly of children under the age of 17) in his "career". The bulk of the film centers around a forensics expert who is given control of the case, and the hurdles he encounters from both the confounding nature of the case, and also the bureaucratic obstacles that he must weather from a government who gives him next to no cooperation or help in solving the murders...There's not much to dislike about CITIZEN X. All of the performances are strong - especially Steven Rea as the forensics expert-turned-investigator, Donald Sutherland as his compassionate but "grounded" superior, and Max Von Sydow as a psychiatrist brought in to consult on the case. I would have liked to have seen a bit more of the killer himself - his methods, his day-to-day life, etc - but regardless, this is a well written and executed film. The pacing suffers a little through the mid-section of the film, but the story is interesting enough to drive it through to the end. There are also a few pretty brutal murder scenes for those of us that dig that sort of thing. Definitely recommended, especially if you enjoy true-crime or serial killer types of films...
