The film that Martin Scorsese made about urban decay and moral collapse is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Taxi Driver (1976), widely regarded as one of the greatest psychological thrillers in film history, follows Travis Bickle, a mentally unstable Vietnam War veteran who becomes a night-shift taxi driver in New York City. Haunted by insomnia, loneliness and growing disgust for the crime-ridden streets around him, Travis spirals into violent fantasies of cleansing the city of its perceived filth.
Robert De Niro delivers an incredible performance as Travis, capturing the character’s dangerous mix of alienation, righteous anger, and unhinged determination. The role solidified De Niro’s status as one of the most powerful actors of his generation.
Jodie Foster, only 12 years old at the time of filming, gives a fearless performance as Iris, a child prostitute whom Travis becomes fixated on rescuing. To complete the all-star cast, Harvey Keitel plays Sport, her manipulative pimp, while Cybill Shepherd portrays Betsy, a political campaign worker who captures Travis’s attention before he begins his descent into violence. Albert Brooks also appears as Betsy’s co-worker.
The screenplay was written by Paul Schrader, who drew on his own experiences of isolation and depression in New York City to create Travis’s character. The film’s chilling, jazzy score was composed by Bernard Herrmann, known for Psycho and Vertigo, and stands as his final work before his death in 1975.
Upon its release, Taxi Driver received widespread critical acclaim for its gritty, uncompromising look at urban alienation, moral confusion, and the darkness simmering within post-Vietnam America.
The film won the Palme d’Or at the 1976 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for De Niro, Best Supporting Actress for Foster, and Best Original Score.
In the decades since, the film has been praised as a landmark of American cinema. It is regularly cited by critics, filmmakers, and historians for its raw portrait of a city on the brink and a protagonist lost between heroism and madness.
Taxi Driver currently holds a 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics’ consensus reads: “A must-see film for movie lovers, this Martin Scorsese masterpiece is as hard-hitting as it is compelling, with Robert De Niro at his best.”
Praised for its direction, performances, and moral complexity, Taxi Driver is still taught in film schools around the world and discussed for its controversial, ambiguous ending.
Taxi Driver is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.