10 Movies To Watch if You Love ‘Taxi Driver’

In the late ’60s, Martin Scorsese started building his name as one of New Hollywood’s, one of the most important film movements of all time, freshest and most high-quality voices. In 1976, he took Hollywood by storm with his sixth feature, Taxi Driver, about an unstable veteran named Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) working as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the decadence he finds in the city fuels his urge for violent action.

Who knows if Scorsese knew back then that he was making what would go down in history as one of the greatest and most influential character studies in the history of cinema? People who would consider themselves fans of Scorsese’s magnum opus can rejoice, as many movies from before and after 1976 are similar enough to Taxi Driver that they’re bound to enjoy them. From old foreign gems like Robert Bresson‘s Pickpocket to modern cult classics like Nicolas Winding Refn‘s Drive, these are the movies any fan of Taxi Driver must watch.

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10 ‘Léon: The Professional’ (1994)

Directed by Luc Besson

The most popular movie by Luc Besson, one of France’s best-known modern filmmakers, Léon: The Professional is also one of the best one-man army action movies of the ’90s. It’s about 12-year-old Mathilda, who is taken in by professional assassin Léon after her family is murdered. She becomes his protégée in an unusual relationship, learning the assassin’s trade in order to get revenge.

One of the most prominent aspects of Taxi Driver is Travis’s relationship with Iris (Jodie Foster in an Oscar-nominated role), a 12-year-old sex worker whose salvation becomes Travis’s obsessive goal at the end of the movie. This relationship is mirrored, albeit in a more twisted and admittedly less self-aware way, in Mathilda and Léon’s bond. Despite how poorly some aspects of Léon have aged, it’s still a phenomenal action film with compelling characters, strong performances, and a third act that is as explosive as Taxi Driver‘s.

9 ‘One Hour Photo’ (2002)

Directed by Mark Romanek

The great Robin Williams was one of the best and funniest comedic actors of his time; there’s absolutely no debate about that. However, he was also fully capable of delivering strong dramatic performances, winning an Oscar for his turn in Good Will Hunting. Another of his dramatic tour-de-force portrayals is One Hour Photo, a thriller about an unstable photo developer targeting a family after his obsession with them becomes more disturbing than any of them could imagine.

Like Taxi Driver, One Hour Photo is a movie whose power is amplified by watching it alone, thus mirroring the isolation of the protagonists. Its exploration of themes of loneliness, trauma, and mental health complements Scorsese’s film wonderfully, bringing a lot to the canon of films that deal with such topics. Williams’s performance is one of his most memorable and easily his most perturbing, putting the perfect cherry on top of a film that was already fully worth watching.

8 ‘Drive’ (2011)

Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn

One of the best arthouse action movies of recent years, Drive is the best-known film by divisive Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn. It stars Ryan Gosling in his most stoic performance as a mysterious Hollywood action movie stuntman who gets in trouble with gangsters after he tries to help his neighbor’s husband rob a pawn shop as his getaway driver.

Gosling’s Driver is one of the most effortlessly cool and intriguing vigilantes in movie history, which is largely what has led Drive to become such a cult classic. The Driver is not too dissimilar a character from Bickle — save for all the themes of radicalization and deteriorating mental health. However, like Bickle, Gosling’s protagonist latches on to a vulnerable woman to protect, thus finding a new purpose among the rage. Those who enjoyed the dark, gloomy city atmosphere of Taxi Driver will surely love the tone and brutal atmosphere of Drive.

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7 ‘Nightcrawler’ (2014)

Directed by Dan Gilroy

Taxi Driver left an indelible mark on the vigilante movie subgenre, and that’s abundantly clear when watching a movie like Nightcrawler. One of Jake Gyllenhaal‘s best films, it’s a grim psychological thriller about a con man desperate for work who forces his way into the world of L.A. crime journalism. There, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of a new, violent story.

With a potently disturbing performance from Gyllenhaal and a terrific script by director Dan Gilroy, Nightcrawler is a scary exploration of how the media perverts and warps the American Dream, seeding destructive ambition in the hearts of lonely people. It’s a message clearly influenced by Taxi Driver, whose take on the dangers of media and political fanaticism remains uncomfortably relevant. A devastating third act ensures Gilroy’s film is one of those rare thrillers with a perfect conclusion.

6 ‘The Searchers’ (1956)

Directed by John Ford

One of the most legendary, iconic, and influential Westerns of all time is John Ford’s The Searchers, starring his long-time collaborator, John Wayne. As deep and thought-provoking as the genre comes, it’s about a Civil War veteran who embarks on a years-long journey to rescue his niece from the Comanches who kidnapped her after the rest of his brother’s family is massacred in a raid on their farm.

Coming near the end of Hollywood’s Golden Age, an era and style of filmmaking that had a massive impact on Scorsese’s style and directorial voice, The Searchers sees its director pondering the genre’s tropes and problematic aspects in ways that only a master like him could achieve. Its alienated protagonist clearly had some level of influence on how many writers and directors would approach similar loner characters, and the character-study-like tone of this Western should enchant even those who don’t typically enjoy the genre.

5 ‘Bad Lieutenant’ (1992)

Directed by Abel Ferrara

It’s definitely hard to stomach, but Bad Lieutenant is a must-see for all those who enjoy dark-toned films about morally deplorable characters. It’s about a corrupt NYC cop with a serious drug and gambling addiction investigating a young nun’s rape, a mission that leads him on a quest to find forgiveness and redemption. The whole movie is a filthy descent into the bowels of the human spirit, but the experience is worth it.

One of Harvey Keitel‘s best movies, Bad Lieutenant sees the iconic actor deliver one of his most layered and complex performances. It’s an unforgiving film that demands that viewers try and connect with a real scumbag of a human being — and with Keitel and director Abel Ferrara‘s adept touch, it somehow works. Scorsese definitely didn’t take things quite as far, at least in terms of morality, but those who want an even darker character exploration should give Bad Lieutenant a shot.

4 ‘You Were Never Really Here’ (2018)

Directed by Lynne Ramsay

There’s still a long way to go, but the 21st century has thankfully given female filmmakers in Hollywood more and better chances to tell their stories than ever before. One such director is Lynne Ramsay, who loves making dark and unflinching films. Her most recent work is You Were Never Really Here, a crime thriller about a traumatized veteran who tracks down missing girls for a living. After a job spins out of control, a conspiracy is uncovered, which could lead to his death.

You Were Never Really Here is one of the best vigilante movies out there, clearly inspired by Taxi Driver‘s tone and characters. It’s a brutal neo-noir crime thriller with a stellar lead performance by the always-exciting Joaquin Phoenix, diving deep into the topic of masculinity in ways no male director could have explored. Its atmosphere is intoxicating, and its visuals enrapturing; however, You Were Never Really Here‘s narrative works as its most interesting element.

3 ‘Pickpocket’ (1959)

Directed by Robert Bresson

The legendary and widely studied Robert Bresson is one of the most important and influential auteurs in the history of French cinema, directing some of the country’s most celebrated movies. One of his best films is Pickpocket, a crime drama about a man named Michel who passes the time by picking pockets under the close watch of the police. His friend Jacques may suspect, while they both have their eyes set on the neighbor of Michel’s ailing mother.

Austere, hypnotic, and powerfully short,
Pickpocket
is a very Dostoyevskyan story that’s very reminiscent of Paul Schrader’s work.

Bresson, one of the most patient and minimalist directors who ever worked, described Pickpocket as an “impatient film.” Austere, hypnotic, and powerfully short, it’s a very Dostoyevskyan story that’s very reminiscent of Paul Schrader’s work, including Taxi Driver. Both films are about voyeuristic, lonely men who narrate their stories in their diaries, providing valuable yet disturbing insights into the inner workings of their elusive minds. The movies complement each other perfectly well, almost working as companion pieces due to their thematic similarities.

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2 ‘Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters’ (1985)

Directed by Paul Schrader

Paul Schrader is best known as a screenwriter, but he’s also had a very prolific and successful career as a director. There can be much debate about his best works, but it’s clear which one is #1: Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. One of the most unconventional biopics of all time, it’s a fictionalized account of the life and work of acclaimed Japanese writer Yukio Mishima.

In their obsessive effort to cherry-pick the most important events from a person’s life, many biopics end up making audiences feel like they don’t really know the subject at all. With his poetic approach, Schrader makes his audience feel like they’ve gotten to know the deepest parts of Mishima’s voice and soul. In this way, there are two works that could be considered Schrader’s magnum opus: as a writer, it’s Taxi Driver, and as a director, it’s Mishima.

1 ‘Raging Bull’ (1980)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

When it comes to powerful character studies about morally ambiguous men, Martin Scorsese reigns supreme. Taxi Driver is phenomenal, but only four years later, the director made another masterpiece that some might say is even stronger: Raging Bull. A biopic about boxer Jake LaMotta, it chronicles how his violence and destructive temper led him to the top of the ring but wrecked his life outside of it.

LaMotta and Bickle, both played magnificently by Robert De Niro in what are easily his two best performances, are also arguably the two best characters from Scorsese’s filmography. Scorsese’s two masterworks share many similarities, both tonal and narrative, serving as two of the greatest character studies ever put on film. If a viewer loved Taxi Driver and somehow hasn’t seen Raging Bull yet, they ought to right that wrong as soon as humanly possible.

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