Midnight Cowboy

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Midnight Cowboy

R

1969

1h 53m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

114 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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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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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

Jul 29, 2022

[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.

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Sophie Monks Kaufman

Time Out

Mar 14, 2022

5/5

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.

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Marjory Adams

Boston Globe

Mar 14, 2022

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.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 11, 2025

4/4

It only takes a movie like Midnight Cowboy to point out the limitations of a critical rating system: How can a measly four stars convey the magnificence of this acknowledged classic?

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Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

Jun 8, 2023

Gritty, grimy, and groundbreaking for its time, few films have been more avant-garde in approach, nor more perpetually relevant than Midnight Cowboy.

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Michael Talbot-Haynes

Film Threat

Mar 25, 2022

10/10

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.

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Robert P

@Superbad 3 days ago

Midnight Cowboy = a 4.5 star Movie!

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Steve P

@RT51309047 Aug 28, 2026

This movie came out in 1969. I just saw it tonight 8/28/26 for the first time and I got to say why the heck did I wait so long to see this! The initial X rating is hysterical! Outstanding performances by Hoffman and Voight!!

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Kevin P

@RT55971421 Aug 15, 2026

A very enriching, emotionally bittersweet dramedy about the death of the American Dream. Dustin Hoffman kills it as the slimy fast-talkin' "Ratso" Enrico Salvatore Rizzo Jon Voight is so naively likable as the titular Midnight Cowboy Joe Buck. The film soars from the great chemistry between the two leads. The infamous "Hey! I'm walkin' here!" scene is hilarious and a real unscripted moment. I love the film's cute folksy soundtrack. The movie starts off very funny, but slowly the sadness creeps in as the harsh reality of the lifestyle settled in. The movie on the surface seems to be a mixed bag with its LGTB+ representation with its usage of slurs balanced by the complex subtext implemented by the film's gay director. The movie has many flashbacks that range from disorienting to disturbing. The film takes a dark turn with a tragic ending with just enough hope weaved in with Joe's changed outlook on life to cap off his story. It's a greatly crafted drama and definitely worth a watch.

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Ed W

@Guyinthechair Jul 27, 2026

Fantastic acting by Voight and Hoffman. However, storyline was weak and often has disturbing hard to watch scenes that tend to feel a bit much.

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Bob L

@Dudeorama5 Jul 10, 2026

Characters were great, the movie was well done. The ending is traumatic as I’ll never forget it, but in a good way. It gave me all the feels.

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Edwin O

@RT85409291 Jun 23, 2026

Midnight cowboy starts off so upbeat and aspirational, but subverts those dreams of big money into one of survival and friendship, while living in extreme poverty. Ten years on from my first viewing that forced me to leave the room in an attempt to hide my emotion from my parents, it still manages to tear my heart out completely. An absolute masterpiece of a film that im thankful was ever made.

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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

Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Come on Now Don't Hit Me

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Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - That's a Funny Thing You Mentioning Money

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Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso Gets Joe a Real Job

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Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso's Dying Wish

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Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso and Joe Trade Insults

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Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso and Joe Lose Their Home

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Midnight Cowboy: Official Clip - Ratso Dies on the Bus to Miami

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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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