Movies Like Citizen Kane (1941)

Citizen Kane is a 1941 drama, mystery film from Orson Welles with a MovieMagicScore of 8.0/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Spotlight and Sweet Smell of Success.

Drama Mystery

Spotlight

2015

The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

7.8

MagicScore

Sweet Smell of Success

1957

New York City newspaper writer J.J. Hunsecker holds considerable sway over public opinion with his Broadway column, but one thing that he can't control is his younger sister, Susan, who is in a relationship with aspiring jazz guitarist Steve Dallas. Hunsecker strongly disapproves of the romance and recruits publicist Sidney Falco to find a way to split the couple, no matter how ruthless the method.

7.6

MagicScore

In Her Shoes

2005

Irresponsible party girl Maggie is kicked out of her father's and stepmother's home—where she lives for free—and is taken in by her hard-working sister, Philadelphia lawyer Rose. After Maggie's disruptive ways ruin her sister's love life, Rose turns her out as well. But when their grandmother, who they never knew existed, comes into their lives, the sisters face some complicated truths about themselves and their family.

6.2

MagicScore

Breathless

1960

A small-time thief steals a car and impulsively murders a motorcycle policeman. Wanted by the authorities, he attempts to persuade a girl to run away to Italy with him.

7.5

MagicScore

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

1936

Longfellow Deeds lives in a small town, leading a small town kind of life. When a relative dies and leaves Deeds a fortune, Longfellow moves to the big city where he becomes an instant target for everyone. Deeds outwits them all until Babe Bennett comes along. When small-town boy meets big-city girl anything can, and does, happen.

7.5

MagicScore

Team America: World Police

2004

When North Korean ruler Kim Jong-il orchestrates a global terrorist plot, it's up to the heavily armed, highly specialized Team America unit to stop his dastardly scheme. The group, which has recruited troubled Broadway actor Gary Johnston, not only has to face off against Jong-il, but they must also contend with the Film Actors Guild, a cadre of Hollywood liberals at odds with Team America's 'policing the world' tactics.

6.7

MagicScore

Capitalism: A Love Story

2009

Michael Moore comes home to the issue he's been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world).

7.1

MagicScore

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

2008

Sidney Young is a down-on-his-luck journalist. Thanks to a stint involving a pig and a glitzy awards ceremony, Sidney turns his fortunes around, attracting the attention of Clayton Harding, editor of New York-based glossy magazine 'Sharps', and landing the holy grail of journalism jobs. The Brit jets off to the Big Apple and moves from one blunder to the next.

6.0

MagicScore

The French Dispatch

2021

The staff of an American magazine based in France puts out its last issue, with stories featuring an artist sentenced to life imprisonment, student riots, and a kidnapping resolved by a chef.

7.0

MagicScore

#10

The Remains of the Day

1993

A rule-bound head butler's world of manners and decorum in the household he maintains is tested by the arrival of a housekeeper who falls in love with him in post-WWI Britain. The possibility of romance and his master's cultivation of ties with the Nazi cause challenge his carefully maintained veneer of servitude.

7.4

MagicScore

#11

Stranger Than Paradise

1984

A New Yorker's life is thrown into a tailspin when his younger cousin surprise-visits him, starting a strange, unpredictable adventure.

7.1

MagicScore

#12

Stand by Me

1986

After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four boys decide to go see the body. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, but they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys' adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.

7.8

MagicScore

#13

They Called Him Mostly Harmless

2024

When an unidentified hiker is found deceased in the Florida wilderness, authorities release a sketch. Multiple hikers call in claiming to have met the man. There's only one problem – he never told them his name. It would take two years, thousands of devoted internet sleuths, and a miracle of science to identify him, and that's when the trouble really starts.

6.2

MagicScore

#14

Owning Mahowny

2003

Dan Mahowny was a rising star at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. At twenty-four he was assistant manager of a major branch in the heart of Toronto's financial district. To his colleagues he was a workaholic. To his customers, he was astute, decisive and helpful. To his friends, he was a quiet, but humorous man who enjoyed watching sports on television. To his girlfriend, he was shy but engaging. None of them knew the other side of Dan Mahowny--the side that executed the largest single-handed bank fraud in Canadian history, grossing over $10 million in eighteen months to feed his gambling obsession.

6.7

MagicScore

#15

Banksters

2020

Karolina works in a bank, she is energetic, self-confident, go-getting. When the latest currency product comes into her hands - a loan in Swiss francs, the woman gets a great chance to prove herself. Having the full consent of his boss - Adam, he unscrupulously starts persuading clients to take the most risky and unfavorable investments. Jan is the gray eminence of the Polish financiers. In his phone, he has contacts to the presidents of the largest banks in Poland. His cynical ideas and decisions affect the economy and the fate of hundreds of thousands of people overnight. Such as Artur - an ambitious head of an IT company who decides to use currency options to develop his business. His partner is Mateusz, who dreams of independence, his own place and the longed-for move away from his in-laws.

5.7

MagicScore

#16

Golden Balls

1993

A libidinous construction worker uses his charm and bravado in an attempt to attain enough finances to build his dream project.

5.5

MagicScore

#17

The Lady Banker

1980

Ambitious Emma Eckhert successfully makes her way into a world previously reserved for men: that of high finance. She quickly becomes popular with small savers, but leads a scandalous life that will cost her.

5.3

MagicScore

#18

There Will Be Blood

2007

Ruthless silver miner, turned oil prospector, Daniel Plainview, moves to oil-rich California. Using his son to project a trustworthy, family-man image, Plainview cons local landowners into selling him their valuable properties for a pittance. However, local preacher Eli Sunday suspects Plainview's motives and intentions, starting a slow-burning feud that threatens both their lives.

8.1

MagicScore

#19

All the President's Men

1976

During the 1972 elections, two reporters' investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Nixon to resign from his post.

7.7

MagicScore

#20

Serpico

1973

New York cop Frank Serpico blows the whistle on the rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him.

7.5

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Citizen Kane?

The top films similar to Citizen Kane by MovieMagicScore are Spotlight (7.8), Sweet Smell of Success (7.6), In Her Shoes (6.2). Each shares drama/mystery themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Citizen Kane worth watching?

Citizen Kane holds a MovieMagicScore of 8.0/10 from 5,791 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Citizen Kane?

Citizen Kane (1941) is a drama, mystery film directed by Orson Welles, starring Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore.

Where can I find more recommendations like Citizen Kane?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Spotlight Movies like Sweet Smell of Success Movies like In Her Shoes Movies like Breathless Movies like Mr. Deeds Goes to Town Movies like Team America: World Police

About movies like Citizen Kane

This ranked list pairs Citizen Kane (1941), a drama and mystery film from Orson Welles, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Orson Welles take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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