What is Citizen Kane's IQ Score?

Citizen Kane has an IQ Score of 184/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient framework, placing it in the Masterclass tier. The score breaks down to 48/50 Cognitive Stimulation, 44/50 Educational Value, and 46/50 Craft & Quality.

Is Citizen Kane educational?

Citizen Kane is strong on educational value, 44/50 on TVI's rubric, which covers academic content, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, life skills, and knowledge transfer.

How does TV Intelligentsia calculate IQ Score?

TV Intelligentsia's IQ Score is calculated as round((Cognitive Stimulation × 0.4 + Educational Value × 0.35 + Craft & Quality × 0.25) × 4), scoring titles from 0 to 200 across five tiers: Masterclass (≥160), Stimulating (≥130), Competent (≥100), Passive (≥70), and Numbing (<70). The framework is published at tvintelligentsia.com/methodology/.

Citizen Kane , IQ Score 184/200

Citizen Kane has an IQ Score of 184/200 on TV Intelligentsia's Intelligence Quotient rubric, placing it in the Masterclass tier.

By Jordan Robinson, MPH·Updated 2026-05-21·Methodology

dramamystery

184/ 200

Masterclass TVI Essential

Measurably increases domain knowledge or cognitive capacity

Citizen Kane poster, IQ Score 184/200, Masterclass tier on TV Intelligentsia

Score Breakdown

Cognitive Stimulation/50

Educational Value/50

Craft & Quality/50

Cinematic Score/50

IQ = round((Cognitive × 0.4 + Educational × 0.35 + Craft × 0.25) × 4) · How we score →

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Why you should trust this score

Methodology reviewed by Jordan Robinson, MD, MPH

Physician scientist. Master of Public Health, with substantial coursework in research methodology. Reviews the rubric and its application across the adult catalog.

Methodology

Published rubric, v1.2

Formula

round(C × 0.40 + E × 0.35 + Q × 0.25) × 4

Database scale

2,282 titles, version-controlled

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TVI Essential · Consensus

Citizen Kane scores 184/200 on the TVI IQ Score, Masterclass tier. Consistently ranked as the greatest film ever made. Orson Welles's 1941 debut chronicles the rise, earning Cultural Impact, Intellectual Substance, Rewatch Value, and Lasting Significance. TVI Essential is an editorial designation; IQ Score is a content rating, not an intelligence measurement.

The TVI Take

Consistently ranked as the greatest film ever made. Orson Welles's 1941 debut chronicles the rise and fall of a newspaper magnate through structurally inventive narrative form.

Exceptionally high cognitive demands from the non-linear storytelling, deep-focus photography, and thematic density. Exceptional educational value from its filmmaking innovations and political commentary. Every frame invented something.

Where to Watch

Rent