Mad City

Name: Mad City
Genre: Thriller, Drama
Released: 1997-10-10
Duration: 1 h 54 min
Rating: 6.2
Cast: John Travolta, Dustin Hoffman, Mia Kirshner, Alan Alda, Robert Prosky

1997·Movie·PG-13·114 min·★ 6.2(373)

Thriller Drama More English titles

“One man will make a mistake. The other will make it a spectacle.”

A misguided museum guard who loses his job and then tries to get it back at gunpoint is thrown into the fierce world of ratings-driven TV gone mad.

▶ Watch trailer

Where to watch Mad City in United States

Can I watch Mad City in United States? Yes — you can stream Mad City in United States on YouTube Free, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.

Stream

Rent

Buy

Click a service to open Mad City there. Availability last verified on September 9, 2026.

Where is Mad City streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	YouTube Free	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
India	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Canada	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Australia	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Germany	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, MagentaTV
France	—	Apple TV Store, Orange VOD, Rakuten TV
Spain	—	Google Play Movies, Amazon Video
Japan	HBO Max on U-Next	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, FOD
South Korea	wavve, Watcha	wavve

About Mad City

Mad City is a 1997 English-language thriller and drama film directed by Costa-Gavras. The cast is led by John Travolta, Dustin Hoffman, Mia Kirshner. It has a runtime of 1h 54m. Viewers rate it 6.2/10 across 400 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on YouTube Free.

Mad City was produced by Arnold Kopelson Productions, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Punch Productions and made in United States of America. It was released on October 10, 1997, and carries a PG-13 certification. Made on a budget of about $50 million, it went on to gross $11 million worldwide.

Director: Costa-Gavras
Writers: Tom Matthews, Eric Williams
Release date: October 10, 1997
Original language: English
Age rating: PG-13
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $50 million
Box office: $11 million
Production: Arnold Kopelson Productions, Warner Bros. Pictures, Punch Productions

#journalist#hostage#museum

Mad City cast & crew

Mad City was directed by Costa-Gavras and written by Tom Matthews and Eric Williams.

The cast features John Travolta as Sam Baily, Dustin Hoffman as Max Brackett, Mia Kirshner as Laurie Callahan, Alan Alda as Kevin Hollander, Robert Prosky as Lou Potts, and Blythe Danner as Mrs. Banks.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Thomas Newman, cinematography is by Patrick Blossier, and it was produced by Arnold Kopelson and Anne Kopelson.

Is Mad City worth watching?

Mad City holds an audience score of 6.2/10 from 373 ratings, a solidly received thriller films.

At 1h 54m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy thriller and drama, Mad City is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch Mad City

In United States, you can stream Mad City on YouTube Free, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.