Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The Kid

Play trailer Poster for The Kid 1921 1h 0m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 49 Reviews 95% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Chaplin's first full-length feature is a silent masterpiece about a little tramp who discovers a little orphan and brings him up but is left desolate when the orphanage reclaims him. Chaplin directed, produced and starred in the film, as well as composed the score.
Watch on Fandango Stream Now

Where to Watch

The Kid

The Kid

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Charles Chaplin' irascible Tramp is given able support from Jackie Coogan as The Kid in this slapstick masterpiece, balancing the guffaws with moments of disarming poignancy.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Grace Kingsley Los Angeles Times 06/25/2021
There's really no classifying The Kid. The best one can do is say that it has all the old melodramatic material, but so jazzed up with fun and with its drama so simply and humanly played, that it almost fools you into believing it is like life. Go to Full Review
Mabel McElliott New York Daily News 05/17/2021
Jackie, legging it madly 'cross corners, is almost as good for box office purposes as our own Charles, playing the Artful Dodger to a Bowery bum. Go to Full Review
Times (UK) Staff The Times (UK) 08/05/2020
Formerly it was the custom to say that Mr. Chaplin played down to the level of his audiences. Now it is to be hoped that he will lift his audiences up to this new level of his own. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Jan 11
3/4
The Kid is less uproarious than later Chaplin efforts, serving more as a testing ground as it offers a charming yet tough-minded tale. Go to Full Review
Carl Sandburg Chicago Daily News 03/28/2022
Those constant contenders who maintain that Charlie Chaplin is the master mummer of the movies and the world's greatest actor, either in the silent or the spoken drama, now have another exhibit to put forward in behalf of their argument. Go to Full Review
Robert E. Sherwood LIFE 10/04/2021
Chaplin, as always, demonstrates the marvelous quality which, in the cinema world, is so exclusively his own -- the ability to be coarse without being offensive; to mix Rabelaisian wit with Chesterfieldian delicacy. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
arbanator T @RT93327242 2h My 8 year old grandson started by announcing that he didn't like, and didn't want to see anything in, black and white. Once I talked him in to giving it a shot for a couple of minutes he was entranced and deeply emotionally engaged. I can't think of a better movie for someone his age or a little younger or older. And all the adults really enjoyed it, too. See more Christian M @chriss17eu 2d Sadly, Chaplin. 'The Kid' is a deeply moving masterpiece of tragicomedy, delicately balancing poverty, abandonment, motherhood, and humor. Its opening creates a powerful contrast between Edna Purviance’s desperate abandonment of her child and the father’s cold indifference. Chaplin then transforms this tragedy into tenderness through Charlot’s unexpected role as a father figure, creating one of cinema’s most endearing friendships. Jackie Coogan is extraordinary, with his laughter being infectious and his tears absolutely devastating. The silent gestures, precise framing, and emotional music make their bond incredibly powerful. I struggle with Edna’s character, given her decision to abandon her son, although Chaplin wisely presents her as tragic rather than monstrous. The fights feel weaker, and the dream sequence interrupts the film’s rhythm. Still, Charlot’s final emotional collapse is unforgettable. Seeing the king of comedy shed a tear cements 'The Kid' as a masterpiece. See more Cristopher S @cris_sanchez Aug 20 Muy buena película. Después de haber visto Modern Times, tengo que admitir que no consiguió hacerme reír tanto como aquella, pero eso no significa que sea una mala película. Lo que más disfruté fue la relación entre Charlot y el niño, que termina siendo el verdadero corazón de la historia. Jackie Coogan me sorprendió muchísimo: siendo tan pequeño tiene un enorme carisma y por momentos parece literalmente un pequeño Chaplin, copiando sus gestos y comportamientos. Una relación muy bonita y entretenida de ver. See more Stefano T @Giant_Lizard Aug 14 Both humorous and touching, with also some action involved. The plot is solid, the pace is fast, and Chaplin is a genius. See more diogo13 T @Tua_mera Jul 10 The Kid is Charles Chaplin’s most personal film and proof that silent cinema can still convey universal emotions with pinpoint precision. The work balances the harshness of urban poverty with the lightness of physical comedy. See more Robinson M @Robinson.actor May 21 Creo que fue la primera o segunda película que vi de Charles Chaplin. Es cómica, sentimental, pasas de un sentimiento a otro en segundos. Las coreografías son tan precisas que logran una total armonía en la escena. La historia realmente te mueve por dentro, todo se conecta y al final aterriza para darnos un cierre hermoso. See more Read all reviews
The Kid

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING
The Gold Rush 98% 93% The Gold Rush Watchlist TRAILER for The Gold Rush City Lights 95% 95% City Lights Watchlist TRAILER for City Lights Skippy 86% 56% Skippy Watchlist What Price Glory? 100% 77% What Price Glory? Watchlist No Man of Her Own 91% 69% No Man of Her Own Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Chaplin's first full-length feature is a silent masterpiece about a little tramp who discovers a little orphan and brings him up but is left desolate when the orphanage reclaims him. Chaplin directed, produced and starred in the film, as well as composed the score.
Director
Charlie Chaplin
Producer
Charlie Chaplin
Screenwriter
Charlie Chaplin
Production Co
Charles Chaplin Productions
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 21, 1921, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 2, 2016
Runtime
1h 0m
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings