Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- sardonic
- witty
- bittersweet
- classic film night
- political satire viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly recognize the film as an ambitious, politically sharp Chaplin satire with memorable comic moments, while finding its arguments and pacing uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
King Shahdov arrives in New York after revolution and experiences the city as both refuge and hostile spectacle.
Shahdov becomes suspected of communism through his association with a child of communist parents and faces a McCarthy-style hearing.
The nearly broke king turns to television commercials and encounters advertisers, television specialists, and public image-making.
The film’s black-and-white presentation frames New York institutions, television settings, and public hearings in a stark comic register.
Films like A King in New York, and why
The Great Dictator
political satire, social criticism, and comic outsider perspective
The Foreign Correspondent
black-and-white comedy of manners centered on an outsider navigating american society
Dr. Strangelove
biting mid-century social satire combining comedy with institutional absurdity
The Mouse That Roared
fish-out-of-water comedy using a foreign visitor to expose national customs and hypocrisy
Movie Details
- Director
- Charlie Chaplin
- Release Date
- 1957-09-12
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (242)
Cast
- Charlie Chaplin
- Maxine Audley
- Jerry Desmonde
- Oliver Johnston
- Dawn Addams
- Sidney James
- Joan Ingram
- Michael Chaplin
- John McLaren
- Phil Brown
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A King in New York about?
- An exiled king’s awkward encounter with American television and anti-communist suspicion becomes a pointed satire of conformity, celebrity, and political fear.
- What is A King in New York like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A King in New York as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A King in New York violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in A King in New York.
- What did critics think of A King in New York?
- Critics broadly recognize the film as an ambitious, politically sharp Chaplin satire with memorable comic moments, while finding its arguments and pacing uneven.
- Which films are like A King in New York?
- Films with a similar feel include The Great Dictator, The Foreign Correspondent, Dr. Strangelove, and The Mouse That Roared.
- How long is A King in New York?
- A King in New York runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch A King in New York?
- In United States, A King in New York streams on Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
