Citizen K

There’s nothing like a decade in a Siberian prison to turn a Russian oligarch into a dissident. That, in one sentence, is the subject of master documentarian Alex Gibney’s new film. Hovering between farce and thriller, it tells the story of Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a colorful, charismatic figure once said to be the richest man in Russia. He escaped to London to evade a murder charge—legit or bogus, we’re left to decide for ourselves. Indeed, it is this frisson of mystery enveloping the man that makes the film so fascinating. Played the Venice and Toronto film festivals.

Directed and written by Alex Gibney; 2019; Courtesy of the filmmaker; Documentary; USA; In English. Runtime: 128 min.