Midnight Cowboy

"For those who have never seen it and those who have never forgotten it."

1969 1h 53m EN

🙌

7.5

BANGER

🍅

89%

FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.8

IMDB

★7.5TMDB · 1,693🍅89%Rotten Tomatoes●79Metacritic★7.8IMDB · 130,799

Drama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Joe Buck is a wide-eyed hustler from Texas hoping to score big with wealthy New York City women; he finds a companion in Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo, an ailing swindler with a bum leg and a quixotic fantasy of escaping to Florida.

“For those who have never seen it and those who have never forgotten it.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Dustin Hoffman
Ratso
Jon Voight
Joe Buck
Sylvia Miles
Cass
John McGiver
Mr. O'Daniel
Brenda Vaccaro
Shirley
Barnard Hughes
Towny
Ruth White
Sally Buck
Jennifer Salt
Annie

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Schlesinger
Writers: Waldo Salt
Languages: English, Italian
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Grossed $45M — a 12.4× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

57 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Schlesinger, shot by Adam Holender. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Barry. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Hugh A. Robertson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight and Sylvia Miles carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Schlesinger directs. Adam Holender behind the camera. John Barry scores. Hugh A. Robertson cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Italian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $3.6M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Grossed $45M — a 12.4× return. The kind of profit studios chase for a decade.
357 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Italian.
5Directed by John Schlesinger, shot by Adam Holender. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by John Barry. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Hugh A. Robertson shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight and Sylvia Miles carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "For those who have never seen it and those who have never forgotten it.".
10IMDB entry: tt0064665 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 23 themes, including "new york city", "friendship", "prostitute", "rape".
12Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Adam Holender
Original score: John Barry
Editing: Hugh A. Robertson
Production design: John Robert Lloyd
Costume design: Ann Roth
Makeup / hair: Irving Buchman
Runtime: 113 min · 1h 53m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.78:1 (16:9)
Status: Released
Budget: $3,600,000
Box office: $44,785,053
Return: 1244% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NC-17
IMDB: Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Rotten Tomatoes: 89% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 79/100
IMDB rating: 7.8/10 · 130,799 votes
MPAA: R

Awards

Won 3 Oscars. 28 wins & 16 nominations total

National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay
Academy Award for Best Director
Academy Award for Best Picture

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

John Schlesinger

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Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Potential Kermode2017-02-25
★ 8/10
"I'm walking here! I'm walking here!" Shuffling, perhaps. One can always count on Hoffman and his ability to absorb the character he is portraying with such ease. He has a knack at portraying that deep, bronchial coughing schtick. When watching, I had to wear a surgical mask - just in case. Voight, as usual, is magnificent as the innocent amongst the scum. Watching this wide eyed lone ranger slowly losing the tassels from his jacket is a deeply moving experience. A word of warning, you may want to use antibacterial wipes on your tv screen after watching Hoffman here. One cannot be too careful. - Potential Kermode
CinemaSerf2023-06-03
★ 7/10
This is certainly my favourite role from Dustin Hoffman as he turns in an outstanding performance as "Ratso". He hooks up with the dapper, but out of his depth cowboy "Buck" who arrives in New York all set to be a hustler, but ends up paying his first client for the sex she's supposed to pay him for! Initially, "Ratso" fleeces this gullible guy too, but gradually the two start to depend on one and other - which is as well for "Ratso" who is clearly not long for this world. His persistent cough is being worsened by the squalid conditions in which he, and latterly, "Buck" have to live and by their poverty row existence. This is a great story and John Schlesinger tells it with some panache. The relationship between the two men is honest and decent, even though that attribute could hardly be said to apply to either of them when it comes to anyone else: "Ratso" would probably have hustled his own grandmother given the chance. Their bond feels real, plausible - unsentimental and convincing; and the Waldo Salt screenplay ensures that the dialogue - though frequently quite sparing - is both poignant and humorous.
r96sk2025-07-06
★ 9/10
<em>'Midnight Cowboy'</em> is a beauty. It's one I've seen mentioned positively online many times down the years, especially on those four favourites videos that Letterboxd do with well known folk. Despite that I knew nothing coming in, which - as always - is the best way to view a flick. Dustin Hoffman's involvement was all that I did know heading into it, I wasn't even sure it was Jon Voight as the main guy until he started scowling his face - a distinctive look! I actually only know of him in film terms from 2003's <em>'Holes'</em>, he is memorable in that classic. In this, Voight is just as excelllent as Hoffman. They make for a fantastic pairing, I did thoroughly enjoy seeing their friendship build and build; even if it made the obvious, overhanging conclusion more and more saddening. Credit is due for the bit part actors in this, as well. Music-wise this is top notch too, even if that recognisable Harry Nilsson track is a touch overused. Away from that, I didn't actually know the "I'm walkin' here" quote came from this movie (I'm terrible with film quotes, clearly), though of course pretty cool to see it pop up unexpectedly.