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Marathon Man

R Released Oct 6, 1976 2h 5m Mystery & Thriller List
82% Tomatometer 49 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Thomas "Babe" Levy (Dustin Hoffman) is a Columbia graduate student and long-distance runner who is oblivious to the fact that his older brother, Doc (Roy Scheider), is a government agent chasing down a Nazi war criminal (Laurence Olivier) -- that is, until Doc is murdered and Babe finds himself knee-deep in a tangle of stolen gems and sadistic madmen. Even his girlfriend, Elsa (Marthe Keller), becomes a suspect as everything Babe believed to be true is suddenly turned upside down.
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Marathon Man

Marathon Man

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Critics Consensus

Marathon Man runs the gamut from patient mystery to pulse-pounding thriller, aided by Laurence Oliver's coldly terrifying performance and a brainy script by William Goldman.

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Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher Times (UK) Yet everything else here — the gritty supporting players, the conspiracy theories and the Central Park finale — marks the pinnacle of 1970s paranoia thrillers, as Hoffman’s Jewish graduate student is sucked into a shadowy world of postwar spooks... Jan 25, 2024 Full Review Pauline Kael New Yorker A project that seemed a leaden cinch to be the kind of visceral thriller that makes audiences almost sich with excitement has fouled up right from the word go, and nothing in it works quite the way it was meant to. Dec 2, 2023 Full Review Edward Porter Times (UK) ... Far-fetched but gripping. Jan 23, 2023 Full Review Tom Hutchinson Radio Times Schlesinger's film is not without its flaws, but it's a very classy package, and one particular scene involving dentistry will leave a lasting impression and is definitely not for the faint-hearted. Rated: 4/5 Aug 22, 2024 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) ... you have to admit its ingredients are well-dosed, in a script that literally works as a puzzle. [Full review in Spanish] Aug 12, 2023 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy The movie cannily plops a complete innocent in the midst of people who are smarter, stronger, and savvier and then requires him to outlast them all in order to survive. Rated: 3/4 Mar 5, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews
David A Insanely gripping film. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/09/24 Full Review Scott M The first half of the film is slow and unwatchable. Roy Schieder is a good actor, but his character's motivations are dumb and make no sense. The second and third acts are much more suspenseful. Hoffman and Oliver are magnificient. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/07/24 Full Review Chris H A great and chilling film with stunning performances from Hoffman and Olivier. What more can you ask. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/31/24 Full Review Kim P Scheider and Devane were almost as good in their roles as Hoffman and Olivier were in theirs! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/08/24 Full Review Dave C The antagonist - LO, and script really make this! Young Hoffman is always a pleasure, so in all this is solid. However, there are segments that are just too slow and unnecessary and they bring it down from a 5* epic Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/15/24 Full Review Alex P Chilling Thriller with a brilliant script, absolutely worth a watch! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/11/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Marathon Man

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Cast & Crew

Marathon Man

Marathon Man: Official Clip - I Know Who You Are Marathon Man: Official Clip - I Know Who You Are 2:12 Marathon Man: Official Clip - Swallowing the Diamonds Marathon Man: Official Clip - Swallowing the Diamonds 2:12 Marathon Man: Official Clip - I'm Not Going Into That Cavity Marathon Man: Official Clip - I'm Not Going Into That Cavity 2:13 Marathon Man: Official Clip - I'll Give You Szell Marathon Man: Official Clip - I'll Give You Szell 2:13 Marathon Man: Official Clip - Apartment Intruders Marathon Man: Official Clip - Apartment Intruders 2:12 Marathon Man: Official Clip - Is It Safe? Marathon Man: Official Clip - Is It Safe? 2:13 Marathon Man: Official Clip - Incompetent with Women Marathon Man: Official Clip - Incompetent with Women 2:13 Marathon Man: Official Clip - Hotel Room Attack Marathon Man: Official Clip - Hotel Room Attack 2:09 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Thomas "Babe" Levy (Dustin Hoffman) is a Columbia graduate student and long-distance runner who is oblivious to the fact that his older brother, Doc (Roy Scheider), is a government agent chasing down a Nazi war criminal (Laurence Olivier) -- that is, until Doc is murdered and Babe finds himself knee-deep in a tangle of stolen gems and sadistic madmen. Even his girlfriend, Elsa (Marthe Keller), becomes a suspect as everything Babe believed to be true is suddenly turned upside down.
Director
John Schlesinger
Producer
Sidney Beckerman, Robert Evans
Screenwriter
William Goldman, Robert Towne
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 6, 1976, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 21, 2010
Runtime
2h 5m
Sound Mix
Mono
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