Citizen X is a very popular classic film among fans who really like mysteries about detectives and serial killers. It was released back in 1995 and focused on the detectives of the Soviet Union who were trying to catch a serial murderer who would kill children and women in the 80s.
There obviously were a lot of obstacles that they had to overcome in order to finally solve the case and reach the murderer.
The story begins with a body being found on a farm harvesting back in 1982. A forensic specialist called Viktor Burakov is assigned to the case as he starts coming across more such bodies all across the area.
There are seven more such cases that we see that are slowly being discovered. Each has a different stage of decomposition, meaning they were killed at a different period of time.
Soon, the events start covering the hunt for this serial killer who used to dump bodies after killing them. The cat and mouse chase went on for eight years with a huge interference from the diplomats.
Ultimately by the end of it, there were 53 people who were killed, and 52 of them were older than 35 years of age.
After discovering these bodies, we see that Viktor is promoted to detective, and he tries to solve the mystery. He also forms a team with a variety of other talented detectives on the force who try to solve the murder and catch the clues taking them one step closer to the killer.
Citizen X – Plot Details
With the fact that we are seeing a crime thriller movie that shows us murders and other suspenseful sequels, the plot also throws light on the Soviet propaganda that existed during the time. It cost so much time and energy from the detectives that they were not able to catch the killer for years.
It also resulted in more dead bodies than it needed to be. It was almost a decade later that the killer named, Andrei Chikatilo was brought to justice.
His crimes were hidden from the public because the politicians did not want any negative news harming the image of the USSR. It is a beautiful tale of power and mystery that shows us how the system failed those women and children who were innocent all this time.
The first time that Andrei was noticed by the detectives was when the security cameras recorded him at the train station. He had a satchel and a knife. After his arrest, the man was released soon because of the protection he had from the Communist Party in Russia. It was reported that his blood type was not the same as the ones that were seen in the crime scenes.
Well, Viktor then employed a new plan to send various police officials dressed as common folks to the train stations. Eventually, Andrei was caught red-handed by one of the officials and thus was brought to justice.
He was ultimately sentenced to death. In the film, we see him being taken to an unnamed prison, where he is shot in the head from behind.
Was Citizen X Based on a True Story?
Yes, Citizen X is based on a true story. It focused on the real killings and real detectives that took part in this case in the 1980s. Andrei, before he was taken into custody and booked for all the murders with evidence, was called Citizen X.
He was convicted for the ruthless and brutal murder of 53 people. He assaulted these women he killed sexually and mutilated their bodies, and then murdered them.
During the time he was being held during trial, he confessed to murdering over 56 women but was only charged with 53. There was a huge lack of evidence for 6 of these killings, but the rest were deemed valid by the Supreme Court of Russia. He was ultimately killed by gunshot in 1994.
Also read: House Of The Dragon Episode 8 Ending Explained: Making Peace With the Good Times
