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Midnight Cowboy

Midnight Cowboy

1969
Drama
1h 53m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 69.08% from 3374 total ratings

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(3374)
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Rated 02 Mar 2007
4
70th
Roger Ebert called this "a great movie trapped inside a good one." I think it's an amazing movie trapped inside a great one. Yes, there are flaws - notably, the superfluous party and fantasy sequence, as well as the unnecessarily ambiguous flashbacks - but when this movie is at its best, depicting the sad, desolate lives of Buck and Rizzo as they struggle to make ends meet, it penetrates like few other movies. Fantastic.
Rated 12 Dec 2006
90
94th
Raw, dirty and with two magnificent performances.
Rated 27 Feb 2008
4
38th
Like Easy Rider, this is a landmark film that helped revolutionize 70's cinema. There's no denying that. Unfortunately (also like Easy Rider) it is too dated to be truly enjoyable, just somewhat as it captures the era perfectly. Hoffman was great.
Rated 11 Mar 2010
93
93rd
More than a moving story of an unlikely yet believable friendship, the film pulls off a reasonable indictment of media, advertising, the promises they make, and their contributions to defining society. Ironically, the film traffics in its own culture-defining imagery as it fully embraces the stereotypes that came with a mostly rotted, early-70s Big Apple, but the NYC backdrop becomes as vividly realized a character as its 2 deeply memorable protagonists- which is really saying something.
Rated 18 Mar 2007
94
92nd
Midnight Cowboy is a flawed movie. There are scenes in the movie that are absolutely perplexing and feel as if they shouldn't be there at all. But when it's at its best, it's an absolutely mind-blowing experience that is at such a high level of quality that you feel as if it was of this level the whole way through it could be considered the best movie ever made.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
68
70th
Pretty well done, although I think this movie is lauded more for its impact within the historical context of its release than for its depth or artistic merit.
Rated 17 Apr 2008
99
99th
In the novel this was based on, Joe and Rico were lovers. The abandonment of that key element for the adaptation changes the entire tone of the story; what's more, it makes the film rely much more heavily on the audience seeing Joe Buck as a great fool and not just a desperate hustler. Despite that, the film succeeds in every way. The performances are just great, the production design says so much from scene to scene, and the John Barry soundtrack is virtually untouchable. Excellent.
Rated 12 Oct 2008
83
77th
A little (or a lot) dated at times, and frankly I think Hoffman's performance borders on ridiculous. Some of the flashbacks/fantasies were unusual little surprises, but a few of them were kind of retarded. Still, the film does have a way of getting under your skin. The ending reminded me a bit of El Norte.
Rated 11 Aug 2009
9
93rd
Fantastic soundtrack, fantastic acting and a daring story to tell. It's also nicely paced. Some of the editing and flashbacks were a bit strange but overall it didn't take me out of the movie and it ended up adding to the aesthetics of the film. Worthy best picture winner. Also, I haven't seen True Grit but there is just no way John Wayne is ever out acting Dustin Hoffman.
Rated 21 Feb 2011
65
35th
Terrific individual performances and chemistry despite a dearth of meaningful characterization and an oddly slight, needlessly sentimentalist script. Might also be one of the least visually impressive NYC films I've seen, with all of the city's harsh concrete realities muted and softened. Certainly worth viewing, but quite far from the masterpiece you may be expecting.
Rated 22 Feb 2007
90
99th
A great story beautifully filmed.Voight and especially Hoffman play the parts of their lives.An essential film for film buffs.
Rated 19 Jan 2008
86
84th
Two great performances, but Dustin Hoffman really stands out. An incredible performance. This film is very sad and sometimes even surreal, flawed, yet I didn't seem to care that much. Terrific film.
Rated 08 Apr 2010
80
44th
Intensely uncomfortable movie that set the stage for a decade full of 'em.
Rated 16 Jun 2011
75
72nd
"Midnight Cowboy" may be slightly dated, but John Schlesinger's innovative visuals and a memorable protagonist duo make it worthwhile all the same. Voight and Hoffman are terrific in different ways, while the bleak tone took me aback and the hallucinatory nature of some scenes surprised me (in a good way). The soundtrack is cool and although I found the whole experience kinda depressing, I was constantly invested in these characters and their story.
Rated 11 Nov 2011
4
74th
Though the characters may appear terribly stereotypical on the surface, this is in fact an incredibly endearing buddy flick, by turns hilarious and heartbreaking. They're two lonely oddities with pasts they'd rather forget and ambitions they can't achieve. It's also strangely quirky and hallucinatory.
Rated 17 Nov 2011
84
97th
If you wanna talk about great movies you should remember Midnight Cowboy. It's coming out of psychedelic 60's when freedom, expression and loneliness were both the soil for creative mind and the fruit it bears. Like many other filmmakers of the era Schlesinger takes a fresh look at art of cinema, but retains the quality and professionalism of classic Hollywood. Everything from the acting to editing is just great. Good example of succesful symbiosis of style and substance.
Rated 26 Mar 2012
81
73rd
There are a lot of strange elements that don't always work, but the relationship at the heart of the film is really well done. Voight and Hoffman are excellent.
Rated 22 Jan 2014
70
70th
Jon Voight is great playing a happy go lucky dimwit who runs away from his dish washing job to become a Gigolo in New York City. He quickly manages to go broke. Dustin Hoffman is convincing as the crippled and sick homeless con artist who becomes his only friend. Together they struggle to survive. It was shocking material and wonderful music for 1969. Some of the flashbacks were ineffective. By the end you can't help but root for this dumb hick and his unlikely partner in crime.
Rated 27 Nov 2016
60
15th
I can see why it's something that sticks in people's brains. The performances by Hoffman and Voigt are strong. The cinematography is gritty, grimy, dark, bright, and warm, a look I associate with the great films of the 1970s. It looks like a film that should be on the AFI list. But man, the material just isn't good enough.
Rated 01 Apr 2018
75
84th
Like Easy Rider, Midnight Cowboy is an important film for its cultural impact rather than its aesthetic significance. It's now customary to refer to its 'experimental' touches as dated, but the truth is that they are merely a pale shadow of their European influences, and even Coppola used some of these techniques to better effect in The Rain People. Voight and Hoffman are excellent in their respective roles though, and Barry's iconic score resonates long after the credits stop rolling.
Rated 02 Aug 2021
83
71st
Compared to previous Best Picture winners, this must have been absolutely shocking when it came out. Goodbye Hays Code, hello psychedelia, sex, and violence! Voight and Hoffman are both terrific in their roles. It's tremendously gritty and sad.
Rated 01 Feb 2007
93
87th
Depressing almost to the point of overwhelming, but there's that glimmer of hope the film dances in front you and forces you to keep watching. Dustin Hoffman is really great in this.
Rated 14 Apr 2007
80
68th
One of those unforgettable "American Movies Have Now Changed Forever" movies made in this era. You never saw Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart star in something like this, that's for damn sure
Rated 21 May 2007
77
66th
While some of it seems pretty dated, the performances are great. Voight is fine, but Hoffman really steals the show.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
83
77th
Not a feel-good flick, but a very realistic portrayal of the difficulties NYC can heap upon you if you arrive here with unrealistic dreams. Plus the Warhol Factory scenes are wonderful captures of a past era.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
7
84th
A fascinating, utterly non-feel-good New York City movie. Props have to go to Dustin Hoffman for creating a character so slimy and weasely you feel downright unwell when he's onscreen.
Rated 15 Nov 2007
70
84th
Two gigantic performances by Voight and Hoffman. But the alienating editing of sixties debalances the movie somehow. Estrangement and overhumanization doesn't mix in this well known movie. Moderate dissapointment on my side.
Rated 06 Apr 2008
70
61st
This movie is far stranger than I thought it would be. That's a plus. Hoffman is great as well.
Rated 25 Jan 2010
72
19th
This film did not impress me. Its gritty, experimental veneer and controversial subject matter barely conceal the cloying sentimentality beneath. Its a too-cutesy buddy movie at heart.
Rated 09 Jul 2010
10
95th
Wonderful, nothing like I expected, but has great pacing and two outstanding main characters.
Rated 10 Aug 2010
87
78th
The chemistry between Voight and Hoffman is so good that you don't tend to mind when Schlesinger skewers over into psychodelic overindulgence.
Rated 17 Sep 2010
70
68th
Another example of they-don't-make-them-like-this-anymore. Voight and Hoffman are both spectacular, and I didn't want the movie to end.
Rated 18 Dec 2010
83
71st
Very well acted by Voight and Hoffman, this film has a tendency to be very hard to watch as the two of them get more and more desperate to survive. I don't mind headtrips, but I can't help think the flashbacks could have been handled better and the party scene wasn't that great. Aside from that, this is great stuff.
Rated 09 Jun 2011
80
79th
Hoffman is great and I like the lonely feel to this movie. Especially the ending with Voight
Rated 09 Sep 2011
90
82nd
You know what you can do with them dishes!
Rated 09 Nov 2011
84
94th
A story about a young guy from Texas coming to new york to be a gigolo, finding out that the big city lights aren't as bright as they seem. The chemistry between voight en Hoffman is what makes this movie work. Top notch acting, mostly from Hoffman, and a memorable soundtrack makes for a must see for anyone who is fan of the two. Tho perhaps a bit depressing.
Rated 25 Mar 2012
78
78th
A little surreal, but never so much that you get totally taken out of reality. The shift in tone as the story progresses is very smooth, and almost imperceptible. Toward the end, when everything seems to be a struggle for the main characters, I found myself forgetting how optimistic and upbeat the beginning was. Almost like I had wandered into a different movie without realizing it.
Rated 08 May 2012
95
84th
Some won't enjoy it, but The leads are incredible and story is awesome. I liked it.
Rated 09 Jul 2012
77
62nd
there's a great plot here, voight and the hoff bust some serious chops here in their roles, and i'd say that this movie lives up to it's reputation if it weren't for that retarded ending.
Rated 08 Aug 2012
85
86th
While some of its more stylistically experimental elements have suffered from the passage of time, what lies at the heart of this hasn't. It's a story of an unlikely friendship weathering it out against an onslaught of difficulties, and the loneliness of it all is palpable. It's really just a punch in the gut, and one you won't forget anytime soon. Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight are excellent.
Rated 09 Sep 2012
35
18th
This film is odd stylistically, like a lot of Schlesinger. On the bus ride there's a real documentary sense of passing life. But in Manhattan, there is too much feeling of the whole thing being very arranged. That said, it was a breakthrough film in that so many raucous and sordid things were handled so casually. Jon Voight was very much Schlesinger's discovery. Ratso is not really to be believed. It's a shameless piece of overacting. Schlesinger remained far more at ease with British material.
Rated 10 Nov 2012
90
97th
If you're unsure why Dustin Hoffman is generally considered a great actor, look no further than 'Midnight Cowboy'.
Rated 06 Dec 2012
70
69th
["Good"] Ambitious runaway cowboy faces the Big Apple only to be chewed up and spit out. Voight and Hoffman were spectacular, but the all around film itself just seems like it was missing something to give it a lasting impression (or ever make me want to watch it again). Great time piece though. On a side note I'm really glad movies got away from having the same song on repeat as its soundtrack.
Rated 09 Dec 2013
83
75th
Coolness always has to do with weakness. And when Dustin Hoffman lights his cigarette with a passing taxi thats an iconic picture for this perception. You admire a person you don't wanne be - you wanne be something surreal. So, in the heart of this movie lies something deeply timeless. And its timelessness is well deserved.
Rated 24 Dec 2013
96
97th
this movie is strange and it's effects are lasting. i wasn't sure how i felt about when i watched it, but as time passes, i keep thinking about it and it seems to settle in me more and more. i will watch this movie many many more times as i am inexplicably falling in love with it. this is filmmaking at its best, and sadly, a filmmaking of the past.
Rated 01 Jan 2014
73
38th
Its technically impressive, but I couldn't get into it at all. I will say this though, did not expect it to be as strange as it is. A very clear Godard influence.
Rated 10 Nov 2014
80
68th
There is an incredible film trapped in this great film. The editing is shocking, and sometimes unnecessarily so, but this is because this is a truly surprising film, visually and narratively. The characters are nothing short of fascinating, and they are brilliantly portrayed, leading to a conclusion that is unpredictable, yet seems inevitable. It is bogged down a little, and its experimental tendencies quickly become uncomfortable, but it might be worth it for the characters.
Rated 11 Feb 2015
85
85th
A far-ahead-of-its-time drama that would probably be rated PG-13 rather than its original X were it to come out today. Great stuff, historically brilliant performances from both Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight.
Rated 29 Apr 2015
78
78th
Ebert hit this review on the head and I recommend going to read his. Good performances, dated aspects, poor editing by today's standards but a really solid core. I disagree that any individual scene but the warhol party was a waste of time though.
Rated 10 Jul 2015
85
96th
Simply put: a bleak and depressing story supported by a great cast. It deserves lots of credit for the bold themes and the gritty portrayal of life in general, but its biggest merits are to be found in the editing and cinematography; it is by far the most artistic Oscar winner I've seen to date. Definitely worth the praise.
Rated 07 Sep 2015
51
35th
Village idiot murders a conflicted closet homosexual but it's OK & rather kinda sweet because he wants to take his friend to Florida
Rated 17 Jan 2016
68
67th
This is why most great films have the same writer and director. The disharmonious Midnight Cowboy had a Stroszekean masterpiece within its potential, but the characterization was either a bit off or blunted, as was the acting itself. Pretty sure Herzog saw these same flaws and fixed them to create Stroszek.
Rated 20 Feb 2018
87
87th
Great film but very hard to watch...
Rated 12 Jan 2019
80
78th
For me, this falls into the disappointing category of Incredible Movies That I Hope I Never Have to Watch Again (hello, Godfather, you have company). Stylistically, it's impressive but at heart it's the story of two down-and-out guys trying to make it in the world. I'm glad I've seen it, but the characters don't have enough emotional depth that would make me want to rewatch it.
Rated 13 Feb 2020
77
92nd
Sonunda tanrım sonunda. 2020'nin 45. gününde bir film favori listeme girdi. İnanamıyorum.
Rated 11 Nov 2020
40
38th
Poor pacing undermines the poignant tragedy of two well-realised characters.
Rated 14 Nov 2020
88
80th
No, Hoffman lighting a match against that moving car was not cool; he struck it in the wrong direction. To anyone who thinks Voight's character is implausible, you need to meet my freshman year roommate. He has the same combination of sexual hubris and childlike naivety. I love the guy.
Rated 14 Dec 2020
75
62nd
(soon to be) pennyless would-be Gigolo with big dreams (but small IQ) meets a sick, pennyless con-artist with big dreams (and a slightly higher IQ). After realising their joint IQ's dont make 3 figures, they head for Miami where that's not a problem, but the con artist dies. That's it. This is a film comprising 2 great performances but needs a decent story. It ACTUALLY has one, but the abandonment, flashbacks of rape, the hints of murder, are brushed aside in deference to the main "buddy movie"
Rated 16 Dec 2006
84
65th
Sad and strange. The performances are really great. The kind of film that needs more than just a once-over to fully appreciate it.
Rated 03 Jan 2007
91
89th
Em honra de Sylvia Miles (1924 - 2019) filme #2. Por coincidência assisti filmes roteirizados pelo monumental Waldo Salt dois dias seguidos, ele que ficou no ostracismo por anos por constar na lista negra do macartismo veio e arrebatou um oscar merecido de roteiro. Há uns 25 anos anos não assistia esse filme, esse tempo não serviu para diminuir sua grandeza e sensibilidade aos meus olhos, muito pelo contrário, só a reiterou. BDRip no MakingOff.
Rated 29 Jan 2007
60
28th
I did not see the whole movie on arte a year or two ago.
Rated 03 Aug 2007
68
15th
Has not aged well. I respect it and the brave new world of filmmaking it pioneered but I never need to see it again.
Rated 05 Aug 2007
90
91st
Fantastic character roles by Voight and Hoffman.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
70
77th
Some schmaltz and its experimental pretensions are perhaps rather dated, but still fairly well done. Score based on distant memory.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
82nd
Classic drama.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
77th
Jon Voight plays a tough role during a tough time. Good movie.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
88th
Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman were both insanely good in this film. I hope you like 'Everybody's Talkin' by Harry Nilsson =D
Rated 21 Aug 2007
89
93rd
Excellent.
Rated 16 Sep 2007
70
63rd
solid drama
Rated 16 Nov 2007
50
56th
disturbing, but good.
Rated 13 Feb 2008
77
48th
Watching this I felt like Jon Voight's character inasmuch that I didn't know what I was getting into. The film is quite good at making you uncomfortable (at least it did me) not just about the male prostitution but by exposing the dirty underbelly of the city. That said, it's still a subject that definitely does not make you want to come back for more and I can't help but mark it down for that. The extremely memorable soundtrack is a bright spot in an otherwise dark picture.
Rated 01 Mar 2008
82
71st
# 351
Rated 16 Jun 2008
45
37th
How many movies have songs that you still remember, in detail, 40 years later and you could still do a mean karaoke version of in a pinch? This was pretty brave subject matter back then. And I still remember the theme song, even if I couldn't really describe the plot. I think this was probably the movie that introduced me to Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman.
Rated 13 Jul 2008
83
83rd
Hi, hi, hi.
Rated 06 Aug 2008
92
97th
Voight and Hoffman are brilliant. I think of this as a love story - one of the most touching I have seen. There are elements that are dated and a bit cheesy today, but overall this is an astounding work.
Rated 19 Dec 2008
86
72nd
285
Rated 09 Jan 2009
88
58th
Jon Voigt exemplifies a dumb cowboy trying to make it in New York, but i feel like Hoffman forced Rizzo a bit.
Rated 27 Jan 2009
80
80th
A beautiful movie, good script using enviable performances of Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman. And great theme song, I knew of any album of Faith No More.
Rated 07 Mar 2009
77
77th
Great performance for Dustin Hoffman. From all flash backs I liked the one with the girl but all in all they stayed pretty out of the story; there was no real connection with past and present day. Or the line was just weak. And dated psychodelic party did not work that good anymore.
Rated 17 Apr 2009
70
73rd
Great performances from both Voight and Hoffman.
Rated 09 Jun 2009
96
65th
Jon Voight is a pleasure to watch and Hoffman is both lovable and off-putting. Well set and shot.
Rated 25 Jun 2009
80
91st
Voight as the naive gigolo and Hoffmann as the deviant, in this tragic tale of people on the down and out in the big apple.
Rated 25 Jul 2009
60
57th
Nice work by John Voight and generally good overall, but just didn't have that spark for me. It seems New York was as filthy and grim then as it is now.
Rated 21 Nov 2009
82
91st
Classic and surprisingly avant-garde.
Rated 02 Dec 2009
100
96th
I've now watched The Graduate and Midnight Cowboy within a relatively short span of time, and my God... I had never realized how fantastic Hoffman was. Seriously. That's one hell of a one-two punch. I loved this movie even more on the second viewing. I wish that I could increase my rating, but it's already at 100.
Rated 18 Dec 2009
74
85th
Good Movie
Rated 13 Jan 2010
86
72nd
289
Rated 02 Apr 2010
90
56th
beutifull and inspired if not the perfect movie it was overpraised to be. This is still one of the warmest reflections on the urban life in the 70's , amazingly acted by voight and hoffman, who bring a humanity to very unlikable characters. It's also the story of two people who abuse each other and themselves while finding out who they really are, and becoming true friends in the process. It has aged, but still packs an emotional punch at the end.
Rated 12 Jun 2010
75
46th
The most part of the movie is too much fantasy for me. But at some points the metaphor of the loneliness of the characters is overwhelming.
Rated 18 Jul 2010
86
74th
A devastating, lacerating, superbly acted drama.
Rated 22 Aug 2010
70
75th
Hoffman was outstanding as usual. The movie needs a 2nd viewing to really understand the subtext about homosexuality. Really good movie.
Rated 26 Nov 2010
60
69th
One of the most masterful, transformational performances of all-time, by John Voight, who doesn't for even a single moment of the film remind you of his actual, every day, walking around self. GREAT performance in a not very good film. But watch it for Voight.
Rated 09 Jan 2011
77
73rd
Extreme coolness when Hoffman lights his cigarette by using a passing taxi.
Rated 15 Feb 2011
100
84th
My favourite film ever.
Rated 29 Mar 2011
70
38th
I watched it because of the Seinfeld episode where George buys "the Jon Voight Car" and they reference the movie. Didn't love the movie, it was a bit too drug-trippy in some parts. But at least I get the Seinfeld jokes more now.
Rated 25 Oct 2011
95
95th
Dustin Hoffman delivers a bravo performance, he deserved Oscar for this movie. it has one of the most emotional and sad endings that just breaks your heart. i found the movie extremely compelling and thought provoking while culturally significant. i found the handled the subjects of Sex and prostitution in their purest forms and appreciate the work of the makers for bringing this classic movie to screen while being aware of the odds. a brilliant movie. Recommended to everyone.
Rated 01 Nov 2011
88
87th
The flashbacks are unnecessary and detract from the flow of the film. I didn't feel a need for an explanation as to why Joe Buck is who he is. I think that's why Rico is the more intriguing character - we know absolutely nothing about him. But regardless, this is a fantastic character piece with two astonishing performances.
Rated 30 Nov 2011
86
72nd
#275
Rated 14 Dec 2011
86
83rd
85.750
Rated 20 Dec 2011
85
66th
Powerful performances from both of the leading cast members, Hoffman and Voight. The storyline dragged on a bit for me but the ending was very moving.

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