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Midnight Cowboy

Play trailer Poster for Midnight Cowboy R Released May 25, 1969 1h 53m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
89% Tomatometer 115 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Convinced of his irresistible appeal to women, Texas dishwasher Joe Buck (Jon Voight) quits his job and heads for New York City, thinking he'll latch on to some rich dowager. New York, however, is not as hospitable as he imagined, and Joe soon finds himself living in an abandoned building with a Dickensian layabout named Enrico Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman). The two form a rough alliance, and together they kick-start Joe's hustling career just as Ratso's health begins to deteriorate.
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Midnight Cowboy

Midnight Cowboy

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Critics Consensus

John Schlesinger's gritty, unrelentingly bleak look at the seedy underbelly of urban American life is undeniably disturbing, but Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight's performances make it difficult to turn away.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker [John Schlesinger's] spray of venom is just about overpowering, yet the two actors and the simple Of Mice and Men kind of relationship at the heart of the story save the picture. Jul 29, 2022 Full Review Sophie Monks Kaufman Time Out Director John Schlesinger and screenwriter Waldo Salt pump so much emotion into it that it becomes a moving epitaph both to its two striving characters and the American dream itself. Rated: 5/5 Mar 14, 2022 Full Review Marjory Adams Boston Globe Midnight Cowboy is America's challenge to any film from foreign shores... From now on, it is going to be difficult for the cinema snob to declare tritely that films in this country are made for immature audiences. Mar 14, 2022 Full Review Mark Johnson Awards Daily Gritty, grimy, and groundbreaking for its time, few films have been more avant-garde in approach, nor more perpetually relevant than Midnight Cowboy. Jun 8, 2023 Full Review Michael Talbot-Haynes Film Threat The characters’ dreams and memories intermingle with their daily actions, sometimes combining in surreal ways. The camerawork is amazing, capturing vistas of glory and grime from the dawn of 1970s New York. Rated: 10/10 Mar 25, 2022 Full Review Janet Graves Photoplay The movie is brilliantly acted by newcomer Jon Voight, in the lead, and Dustin Hoffman as Ratso Rizzo, his pathetic companion. Not only a study of loneliness, the movie probes the depths of love. Mar 11, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Byron H 4/4 One of the most unique films ever made. The Soundtrack is masterfully used throughout the film. It stands the test of time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/12/25 Full Review Edward F Honestly, the movie wasn't very good. Basically, the only reason I gave it a positive score, is because Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman did a great job acting in an otherwise boring plot. Also, Hoffman's classic adlibbed line "I'm walkin' here!" And staying in character was phenomenal. Other than that though, it was kinda boring. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/08/25 Full Review Audience Member Stays with you after watching. A very strong character-driven film. Powerful and tender at the same time. Ultimately, the vulnerability of the main characters pulls you in. After watching it stayed with me, the music too. I keep thinking about the situation the characters were in, the buildings they visit, many demolished shortly after filming. The ending is both sad and powerful, while also making you feel the value of people. I think this could be one of my favourite film. It stays with me. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/15/25 Full Review John W Immoral people have a bad time in New York to a John Barry Score. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 05/05/25 Full Review Tim M Grounded by commanding performances from Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight, Midnight Cowboy is a searing deconstruction of the masculine image and human commerce. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/22/25 Full Review Miles O Stranger than what I expected, but definitely still worth watching in 2025 Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/22/25 Full Review Read all reviews
Midnight Cowboy

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Cast & Crew

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John Schlesinger

Director

Dustin Hoffman

Enrico Salvatore "Ratso" Rizzo

Jon Voight

Joe Buck

Sylvia Miles

Cass

John McGiver

Mr. O'Daniel

Brenda Vaccaro

Shirley

Movie Clips

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Midnight Cowboy

Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Come on Now Don't Hit Me Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Come on Now Don't Hit Me 1:56 Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - That's a Funny Thing You Mentioning Money Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - That's a Funny Thing You Mentioning Money 2:03 Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - I'm Walkin' Here Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - I'm Walkin' Here 2:05 Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Miami Dreaming Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Miami Dreaming 2:11 Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso Gets Joe a Real Job Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso Gets Joe a Real Job 2:03 Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso's Dying Wish Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso's Dying Wish 2:14 Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso and Joe Trade Insults Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso and Joe Trade Insults 2:09 Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso and Joe Lose Their Home Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso and Joe Lose Their Home 1:55 Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso Dies on the Bus to Miami Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso Dies on the Bus to Miami 2:09 Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - I'm Fallin' Apart Here Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - I'm Fallin' Apart Here 1:30 View more videos

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Midnight Cowboy

A scene from the film MIDNIGHT COWBOY. A scene from the film MIDNIGHT COWBOY. A scene from the film MIDNIGHT COWBOY. A scene from the film MIDNIGHT COWBOY. A scene from the film MIDNIGHT COWBOY. A scene from the film MIDNIGHT COWBOY. A scene from the film MIDNIGHT COWBOY. A scene from the film MIDNIGHT COWBOY. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Convinced of his irresistible appeal to women, Texas dishwasher Joe Buck (Jon Voight) quits his job and heads for New York City, thinking he'll latch on to some rich dowager. New York, however, is not as hospitable as he imagined, and Joe soon finds himself living in an abandoned building with a Dickensian layabout named Enrico Ratso Rizzo (Dustin Hoffman). The two form a rough alliance, and together they kick-start Joe's hustling career just as Ratso's health begins to deteriorate.
Director
John Schlesinger
Producer
Jerome Hellman
Screenwriter
James Leo Herlihy, Waldo Salt
Distributor
Criterion Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Florin Productions, Jerome Hellman Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 25, 1969, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$201.0K
Runtime
1h 53m
Sound Mix
Stereo
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