Overview
A gripping tale of survival and betrayal unfolds in the heart of New York City.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- brooding
- paranoid
- foreboding
- late night thriller viewing
- classic cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as a well-crafted, brainy, highly suspenseful thriller elevated by Laurence Olivier's coldly terrifying performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Babe is pursued by competing agents and Szell's associates while trying to determine whom he can trust.
Babe begins as a history student and marathon runner before the murder of someone close to him draws him into Szell's diamond network.
Szell's dentist identity and interrogation methods make clinical procedure itself a source of dread.
The conspiracy centers on Nazi war criminal Christian Szell hiding amid a cache of diamonds, while Babe's father is connected to the Communist witch hunts.
Films like Marathon Man, and why
The Parallax View
shares paranoid political intrigue, international criminal networks, and a grounded 1970s thriller atmosphere
The Manchurian Candidate
shares a conspiracy-driven plot, morally uncertain institutions, and escalating psychological suspense
Three Days of the Condor
shares urban paranoia, criminal investigation, and a relentless cat-and-mouse structure
The Day of the Jackal
shares a vulnerable protagonist drawn into a dangerous conspiracy involving hidden identities and state power
Movie Details
- Director
- John Schlesinger
- Release Date
- 1976-10-08
- Runtime
- 126 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (1279)
Cast
- Dustin Hoffman
- Laurence Olivier
- Roy Scheider
- William Devane
- Marthe Keller
- Fritz Weaver
- Richard Bright
- Marc Lawrence
- James Wing Woo
- Lou Gilbert
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Marathon Man about?
- A Columbia historian and marathon runner is pulled into a lethal New York conspiracy involving a hidden Nazi war criminal, stolen diamonds, and a terrifying dentist.
- What is Marathon Man like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Marathon Man as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Marathon Man violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Marathon Man as brutal.
- What did critics think of Marathon Man?
- Critics broadly regard it as a well-crafted, brainy, highly suspenseful thriller elevated by Laurence Olivier's coldly terrifying performance.
- Which films are like Marathon Man?
- Films with a similar feel include The Parallax View, The Manchurian Candidate, Three Days of the Condor, and The Day of the Jackal.
- How long is Marathon Man?
- Marathon Man runs 126 minutes.
- Where can I watch Marathon Man?
- In United States, Marathon Man streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
