In the late ’60s,Martin Scorsesestarted building his name as one of New Hollywood’s, one ofthe 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 toTaxi Driverthat they’re bound to enjoy them. From old foreign gems likeRobert Bresson’sPickpocketto modern cult classics likeNicolas Winding Refn’sDrive, these arethe movies any fan ofTaxi Drivermust watch.
Taxi Driver
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10’Léon: The Professional' (1994)
Directed by Luc Besson
The most popular movie byLuc Besson, one of France’s best-known modern filmmakers,Léon: The Professionalis 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 ofTaxi Driveris Travis’s relationship with Iris (Jodie Fosterin 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 ofLéonhave aged, it’s still a phenomenal action film with compelling characters, strong performances, anda third act that is as explosive asTaxi Driver’s.
Léon: The Professional
9’One Hour Photo' (2002)
Directed by Mark Romanek
The greatRobin Williamswas 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 inGood Will Hunting. Another of his dramatic tour-de-force portrayals isOne 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.
LikeTaxi Driver,One Hour Photois amovie whose power is amplified by watching it alone, thus mirroring the isolation of the protagonists. Its exploration ofthemes of loneliness, trauma, and mental health complements Scorsese’s filmwonderfully, 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.
One Hour Photo
8’Drive' (2011)
Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn
One ofthe best arthouse action moviesof recent years,Driveis the best-known film by divisive Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn. It starsRyan Goslingin 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 ledDriveto 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 ofTaxi Driverwill surely love the tone and brutal atmosphere ofDrive.
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7’Nightcrawler' (2014)
Directed by Dan Gilroy
Taxi Driverleft an indelible mark on the vigilante movie subgenre, and that’s abundantly clear when watching a movie likeNightcrawler. One ofJake 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 directorDan Gilroy,Nightcrawlerisa 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 byTaxi 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 rarethrillers with a perfect conclusion.
Nightcrawler
6’The Searchers' (1956)
Directed by John Ford
One of the most legendary, iconic, andinfluential Westerns of all timeisJohn Ford’sThe 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 hada massive impact on Scorsese’s styleand directorial voice,The Searcherssees 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, andthe character-study-like tone of this Western should enchanteven those who don’t typically enjoy the genre.
The Searchers
Directed by Abel Ferrara
It’s definitely hard to stomach, butBad Lieutenantis 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 isa filthy descent into the bowels of the human spirit, but the experience is worth it.
One ofHarvey Keitel’s best movies,Bad Lieutenantsees 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 directorAbel 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 giveBad Lieutenanta shot.
Bad Lieutenant
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 isLynne Ramsay, who loves making dark and unflinching films. Her most recent work isYou 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 Hereis one ofthe best vigilante movies out there, clearly inspired byTaxi Driver’s tone and characters. It’s a brutal neo-noir crime thriller with a stellar lead performance by the always-excitingJoaquin 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.
You Were Never Really Here
3’Pickpocket' (1959)
Directed by Robert Bresson
The legendary and widely studiedRobert Bressonis 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 isPickpocket, 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,Pickpocketis 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,describedPickpocketas an “impatient film.” Austere, hypnotic, and powerfully short, it’s a very Dostoyevskyan story that’s very reminiscent of Paul Schrader’s work, includingTaxi Driver. Both films are aboutvoyeuristic, 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 ofthe most unconventional biopics of all time, it’s a fictionalized account of the life and work of acclaimed Japanese writerYukio 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 toknow 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’sTaxi Driver, and as a director, it’sMishima.
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
1’Raging Bull' (1980)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
When it comes to powerful character studies about morally ambiguous men, Martin Scorsese reigns supreme.Taxi Driveris phenomenal, but only four years later, the director made another masterpiece that some might say is even stronger:Raging Bull. A biopic about boxerJake 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 twobest characters from Scorsese’s filmography. Scorsese’s two masterworks share many similarities, both tonal and narrative, serving astwo of the greatest character studies ever put on film. If a viewer lovedTaxi Driverand somehow hasn’t seenRaging Bullyet, they ought to right that wrong as soon as humanly possible.
