Citizenfour (2014)

Last updated:
September 16, 2025

Citizenfour (2014) is not your average political thriller—it’s a real-time documentary that unfolds like a spy novel. Directed by Laura Poitras, the film follows Edward Snowden as he leaks classified information from the NSA, exposing global surveillance programs. It’s both intimate and suspenseful, putting viewers right in the middle of history as it happens.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

The Encrypted Message

The documentary begins when filmmaker Laura Poitras receives encrypted emails from someone calling himself “Citizenfour.” He claims to have evidence of mass surveillance by the U.S. government and insists on secrecy. This is the spark that ignites the film’s story.

Meeting Snowden in Hong Kong

Poitras, along with journalists Glenn Greenwald and Ewen MacAskill, travels to Hong Kong to meet the mysterious source—Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor. The film captures Snowden’s quiet, nervous determination as he explains his reasons for leaking classified documents: to expose the extent of government surveillance on ordinary citizens.

The Hotel Room Interviews

Much of the film takes place in a single Hong Kong hotel room, where Snowden walks the journalists through the files. These tense yet calm scenes show him explaining how surveillance programs collect data not just on suspected terrorists but also on ordinary people worldwide. Every keystroke, every phone call, every movement online is fair game.

The Leak Hits the News

As Greenwald and MacAskill begin publishing articles in The Guardian, the story explodes globally. Governments are shaken, the public is outraged, and Snowden becomes both a hero and a traitor, depending on whom you ask.

Escalating Pressure

With the U.S. government quickly moving to charge him under the Espionage Act, Snowden realizes he can’t return home. The film captures the tense days when journalists and Poitras work under constant fear of being surveilled or hacked, and Snowden tries to secure his own safety while ensuring the files reach the public.

Movie Ending

The ending of Citizenfour is powerful and unsettling. Snowden is granted temporary asylum in Russia, where he is shown living a quieter life with his partner, Lindsay Mills, who joins him after months of separation. But the sense of calm doesn’t last. In one of the final scenes, Glenn Greenwald visits Snowden and shows him fresh intelligence documents, revealing that government surveillance programs are still expanding—even after Snowden’s revelations. Snowden listens, his face tight with both validation and concern, as he realizes the fight is far from over.

The film closes not with victory, but with a chilling reminder: mass surveillance continues, and whistleblowers remain at risk. It’s a haunting, open-ended conclusion that underscores the stakes of the story.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No. Citizenfour does not feature any post-credits scenes. The story ends with Snowden’s situation in Russia and the revelation of ongoing surveillance. The credits simply list participants and production details.

Type of Movie

Citizenfour is a documentary thriller, combining investigative journalism with the tension of a spy drama. It’s grounded in real-world events yet plays out with the pacing of a political thriller.

Cast

Edward Snowden – NSA whistleblower
Laura Poitras – Director and journalist
Glenn Greenwald – Journalist, The Guardian
Ewen MacAskill – Journalist, The Guardian
William Binney – Former NSA official and whistleblower
Jacob Appelbaum – Security researcher and privacy activist

Film Music and Composer

The score was composed by Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (who are known for The Social Network and Gone Girl). Their minimalist, atmospheric music enhances the tension and unease throughout the documentary.

Filming Locations

Most of the film takes place in Hong Kong, specifically in Snowden’s hotel room, which becomes the epicenter of the leaks. Later sequences show scenes in Brazil, Germany, and Russia. The enclosed setting of the hotel emphasizes the claustrophobic paranoia of being hunted by one of the world’s most powerful governments.

Awards and Nominations

Academy Award (Oscar) – Best Documentary Feature (Won)
BAFTA Award – Best Documentary (Won)
Independent Spirit Award – Best Documentary (Won)
Multiple critics’ awards and nominations around the world

Behind the Scenes Insights

Laura Poitras was already on a government watchlist before making the film; she had been detained and questioned multiple times at airports.
The team had to use advanced encryption to communicate safely during production.
All filming gear and hard drives were carefully hidden or encrypted in case of seizure.
Snowden himself was involved in shaping how the information was released, insisting it focus on public interest rather than his personal life.

Inspirations and References

The film is directly inspired by the real-life events of Snowden’s leaks and the writings of journalists covering mass surveillance. It draws stylistically from political thrillers but is grounded entirely in nonfiction.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

There are no alternate endings, but Laura Poitras has stated that hours of footage were left unused. Some of this raw footage was later made available in other documentaries and journalism projects about Snowden.

Book Adaptations and Differences

While Citizenfour is not adapted from a book, it overlaps with accounts in Glenn Greenwald’s “No Place to Hide” and Snowden’s own memoir “Permanent Record.” The film captures the immediacy of events, while the books provide more backstory and analysis.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

Snowden typing nervously in the hotel room, aware every action might be monitored.
The first Guardian article going live and watching global news networks react in real time.
Glenn Greenwald’s handwritten note to Snowden in Russia, showing just how paranoid digital communication had become.

Iconic Quotes

Snowden: “I don’t want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded.”
Glenn Greenwald: “You’re going to become the most wanted man in the world.”
Snowden: “The greatest fear I have is that nothing will change.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

The alias “Citizenfour” is itself a coded nod to Snowden being the fourth whistleblower Poitras had contact with regarding surveillance.
The handwriting scene at the end emphasizes how even the most basic communication had to avoid digital surveillance.
The film subtly references earlier NSA whistleblowers, like William Binney, connecting Snowden to a broader history.

Trivia

Snowden insisted the camera not focus too much on him, to avoid turning the film into a personality piece.
The documentary was edited in Berlin to avoid U.S. jurisdiction.
The entire film was shot on encrypted drives.
When it premiered, the audience reaction was described as “like watching a live spy thriller.”

Why Watch?

Because Citizenfour isn’t just a documentary—it’s history captured as it unfolded. If you want to understand the reality of government surveillance, whistleblowing, and the cost of truth, this is essential viewing. It’s gripping, terrifying, and deeply human.

Citizenfour (2014)