Midnight Cowboy

1969 113 min ★ 7.5 Drama

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.

▶ Watch Trailer

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

Gilman Rankin

Woodsy Niles

Gary Owens

Little Joe

Details

Director

John Schlesinger

Screenplay

Waldo Salt

Tagline

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

Status

Released

Original Language

EN

Budget

$3,600,000

Revenue

$44,785,053

Production

Florin Productions, Jerome Hellman Productions, United Artists

Reviews

P

Potential Kermode

February 25, 2017

★ 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 ...

C

CinemaSerf

June 3, 2023

★ 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...

R

r96sk

July 6, 2025

★ 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 ...