Popular reviews

• 

  Review by Todd Gaines ★★★★ 33

  A Tramp and Uncle Fester share a special bond in this timeless classic from Charlie Chaplin. Burned photograph. Crying babies scare gangstas. Pimpin' cigarette box. The way Charlie Chaplin tips his hat. Umbrella beatdown. The letter. Bootleg baby bottle. Street hustling like a boss. Rocks break windows. Charlie's giggle. The little kid runs faster than a jaguar. Smooth lobby boy. Charlie Chaplin's mustache is crooked. Booger picker. I'm still cracking the fuck up because the little kid grew up to be Uncle Fester from the Addams Family. Bully beatdown. The even bigger badder bully's muscles. Brick knockout. Ass kick. Quack doctor. The way Charlie Chaplin pushes a motherfucker. The kid is crying and I want to cry. Such passion. Such…

• 

  Review by CinemaCl🎃wn ★★★★★ 5

  Charlie Chaplin's first feature-length theatrical is one of the greatest achievements of silent era of filmmaking that paints one of the most heartfelt portrait of father-son relationship on the silver screen, presents the gifted talent at the prime of his creativity, and despite being nearly a century old classic, can still put most comedies of today to shame.

  A comedy with a smile & perhaps a tear, The Kid tells the story of a tramp who after coming across an abandoned baby takes him under his care after which the film jumps five years in the span of which the grown child now works as his father's sidekick, helping his glazing business by breaking windows around the town. But an unfortunate…

• 

  Review by Neil Bahadur ★★★★½ 2

  In many ways, perhaps the sweetest film ever made. But The Kid still, like all of Chaplin's films, is a very sad one. There's still barely enough to eat, authorities still antagonize only the proletarian classes, the "proper care and attention" of an orphanage only causes social disruption. Even as charming as the window breaking sequence is, the Tramp and the Kid have to resort to illegal work in order to make enough money to afford to eat. The Welfare Officer refuses to even speak to the Tramp, and speaks to him through a surrogate, in the Tramp's own home.

  The ending is a deus-ex machina; the Tramp's look of bewilderment towards the camera as he's put incredulously into a…

• 

  Review by sydney ★★★★★

  in heaven, all beds are free

• 

  Review by josh lewis ★★★★

  very cute and one of the earliest examples of a personal fav subgenre that's been repopularized recently: destitute cleverness. also includes a stellar rooftop chase scene which i always love.

• 

  Review by CinemaVoid 🏴‍☠️ ★★★★

  That kid deserves the best family ever. An eccentric family who delight in the macabre and have room for an uncle. Hope he finds it.

• 

  Review by lauren ★★★★½

  charlie chaplin, hear me out: i am 21 and you are dead -- but those are the only stipulations preventing you from adopting me, so why not?

• 

  Review by eely ★★★★

  do not even think about speaking to me unless you have a head sized hole cut into the middle of your bedspread so that you can stick your head into it and wear it as a poncho.

• 

  Review by Ryan Daniel ★★★★½ 4

  I am floored at how ahead of its time this film is. The restoration (which looks incredible by the way) could easily pass as having been made 20-30 years later than it actually was.

  A lot of the humor still holds up really well, too. There were some shockingly dark jokes and gags in there that I never would have thought would be in a movie from the 1920’s.

  Really beautiful story with a lot of charm.

• 

  Review by ScreeningNotes ★★★★ 16

  Insert Here: Standard opening about how I don't deal well with silent films and how impressive it is that my fascination with Chaplin's comedies continues. These films are a great access point for audiences looking to broaden their horizons beyond sound film.

  The Kid is easily the most melodramatic of Charlie Chaplin's work. This isn't particularly strange since despite their roots in slapstick comedy, Chaplin's films have always had a deeper side grounded in sympathetic emotionalism. But The Kid has a sad side which is darker than most.

  It opens with a young mother abandoning her newborn baby played over a melancholic string arrangement that will make your heart wrench before you even know what's happening. The Tramp takes the…

• 

  Review by san ★★★★ 1

  Short, sweet, and charismatic, Charlie Chaplin’s debut feature-length easily shows how respected he will become as a director. Jackie Coogan as the titular role brings a timeless performance by conveying an impressive emotion at such a young age. Precisely, it’s what you would expect from its first title card: “A picture with a smile — and perhaps, a tear.”

• 

  Review by Justin Peterson ★★★½ 3

  Criterion Collection Spine #799

  If your looking for something to smile about, you can always turn to Chaplin!

  The Kid is one of writer and director Charlie Chaplin's earlier feature films, and is a delightful story about his famous character the tramp finding and raising an orphan.

  There are plenty of memorable moments throughout like when the young boy gets in a fight and Chaplin wants him to loose so he does not get beat up. Or simpler moments like the two sharing a large meal of pancakes together. The kid played by Jackie Coogan really lights up the screen with his range of emotions that come across so well. It's fascinating to see special effects they pulled off during…