50 Years Later, the Most Disturbing Thriller Ever Made Returns to Traumatize Streaming

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Over the years, many unsettling thrillers have truly shocked audiences, leaving a lasting impact even after the movie ends. Films like David Fincher’s Seven, Ari Aster’s Midsommar, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho are prime examples. These movies aren’t just scary; they’re psychologically disturbing, getting under your skin and messing with your mind. Now, one of the most captivating and frightening of these films has a new place to stream, ready to terrify viewers again this October.

First released in 1976, Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver is widely considered to be one of the most unsettling psychological thrillers ever created. The film immerses viewers in the troubled mind of a flawed and unstable protagonist, offering a stark and honest portrayal of violence, loneliness, and all-consuming obsession. Robert De Niro delivers a particularly powerful performance as Travis Bickle, the Taxi Driver who acts as a vigilante while struggling with intense loneliness and feelings of isolation. His desperate need for connection pushes him to the brink of sanity, and he readily plunges into darkness.

Unable to sleep, isolated and troubled Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) finds work as a New York City taxi driver. He spends his nights driving around the city, becoming more and more disconnected from what’s real while fixating on the idea of ridding the city of its grime. After Travis meets the kind campaign worker Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), he becomes consumed with a desire to make a difference, initially considering assassinating a presidential candidate before turning his focus to helping 12-year-old prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster).

‘Taxi Driver’ Is a “Brilliant Nightmare”


Columbia Pictures

As a film critic, it’s hardly shocking to see that Taxi Driver is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive 89% rating. Honestly, it’s widely considered one of the greatest films ever made, and audiences clearly agree – its audience score is even better, sitting at 93%! Now celebrated as an absolute classic, the legendary Roger Ebert famously called Taxi Driver a “brilliant nightmare” when he first reviewed it.

Taxi Driver is a powerfully disturbing film, and like all nightmares, it leaves many questions unanswered. We don’t learn about Travis’s background, the exact nature of his struggles, or even how he got the scar-possibly from his time in Vietnam. This isn’t meant to be an in-depth analysis of a person, but rather a snapshot of a few days in his life. It’s a portrait, not a case study.

If you’re looking for a suspenseful and intense movie, or simply want to remember why Taxi Driver is considered a masterpiece, now’s the time to watch it. It feels surprisingly current even today, solidifying its place as a classic film that’s worth streaming on Netflix.

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2025-10-01 18:33