Overview
A haunting exploration of a man's descent into obsession and violence in a city that never sleeps.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- brooding
- paranoid
- foreboding
- late night cinephile viewing
- dark film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Martin Scorsese’s hard-hitting neo-noir as a landmark of American cinema, praising its compelling psychological intensity and Robert De Niro’s performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Travis Bickle’s insomnia, isolation, contempt for New York, and fixation on cleansing society shape the entire character arc.
Taxi routes through steam, rain, porn cinemas, and seedy streets create an oppressive portrait of 1970s New York.
Travis’s ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran identity informs his rigid judgments, paranoia, and escalating plans.
Travis becomes obsessed with protecting Iris and attempts to define her freedom through his own worldview.
Films like Taxi Driver, and why
Mean Streets
shared neo-noir atmosphere, alienated protagonist, urban corruption, and escalating psychological violence
The King of Comedy
shared psychological thriller structure, obsessive outsider perspective, nocturnal urban setting, and moral disintegration
Bringing Out the Dead
shared neo-noir visual style, criminal underworld, alienated male protagonist, and bleak city atmosphere
You Were Never Really Here
shared vigilante themes, paranoid alienation, and morally unstable protagonist in a major city
Movie Details
- Director
- Martin Scorsese
- Release Date
- 1976-02-09
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Rating
- 8.1 / 10 (13830)
Cast
- Robert De Niro
- Jodie Foster
- Cybill Shepherd
- Harvey Keitel
- Peter Boyle
- Leonard Harris
- Albert Brooks
- Diahnne Abbott
- Frank Adu
- Victor Argo
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Taxi Driver about?
- A lonely Vietnam veteran driving through a decaying New York turns insomnia, obsession, and moral disgust into a dangerous fantasy of purification.
- What is Taxi Driver like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Taxi Driver as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Taxi Driver violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Taxi Driver as graphic.
- What did critics think of Taxi Driver?
- Critics broadly regard Martin Scorsese’s hard-hitting neo-noir as a landmark of American cinema, praising its compelling psychological intensity and Robert De Niro’s performance.
- Which films are like Taxi Driver?
- Films with a similar feel include Mean Streets, The King of Comedy, Bringing Out the Dead, and You Were Never Really Here.
- How long is Taxi Driver?
- Taxi Driver runs 114 minutes.
- Where can I watch Taxi Driver?
- In United States, Taxi Driver is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Spectrum On Demand.
