Marathon Man

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Marathon Man

R

Released Oct 6, 1976

2h 5m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

50 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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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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Kevin Maher

The 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

The 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

The Times (UK)

... Far-fetched but gripping.

Jan 23, 2023

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...a class act, for the acting, sure, but also for early Steadicam use on the streets of New York, some excellent location work, and Schlesinger’s eye for detail, which makes the thriller elements all the more powerful. The ending, however, is botched...

Rated: 4/5

Jun 9, 2025

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

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Stephen C

Success in 2 hours and 5 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/02/25

Full Review

alan g

The dental scene was where I learned about the use of clove oil for dental pain. It also started my interest in holistic and natural medicine. Lawrence Olivier is magnificent. Cold brutal and sadistic. Dustin Horseshit is terrible. I don't know why anybody thinks he can act. Screaming is not acting. All his pictures are like that. He screams his lines and people think he is the greatest actor. He is not. Too many "great actors" are like that. Too bad a little Olivier didn't rub off on him. Otherwise a taught thriller. Don't drink the water from the Central Park reservoir. Gritty NYC from the 70s. I know. I lived there and went to Columbia.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/19/24

Full Review

Jim A

The dentist scene is deeply disturbing, I am in shock.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/08/24

Full Review

Jonathan O

A heart pounding exhilarating intense thriller it's really really clever mystery thriller film and Lawrence Oliver performance is absolutely magnificent villain his acting really deserves a academy award nomination and Dustin Hoffman performance really unbelievable performance and if everyone are planning to go to the dentist don't watched it before you have a appointment.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/25/24

Full Review

Matt F

Is it safe? Great movie and great cast. Doesn't help your fear of the dentist drill.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/28/24

Full Review

David A

Insanely gripping film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/09/24

Full Review

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John Schlesinger

Director

Dustin Hoffman

Thomas Levy

Laurence Olivier

Dr. Christian Szell

Roy Scheider

Henry Levy

William Devane

Peter Janeway

Marthe Keller

Elsa Opel

Marathon Man: Official Clip - I Know Who You Are

2:12

Marathon Man: Official Clip - Swallowing the Diamonds

2:12

Marathon Man: Official Clip - I'm Not Going Into That Cavity

2:13

Marathon Man: Official Clip - I'll Give You Szell

2:13

Marathon Man: Official Clip - Apartment Intruders

2:12

Marathon Man: Official Clip - Is It Safe?

2:13

Marathon Man: Official Clip - Incompetent with Women

2:13

Marathon Man: Official Clip - Hotel Room Attack

2:09

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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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