Best Movies like Taxi Driver (1976)

Bringing Out the Dead, like Taxi Driver, explores the psychological unraveling of a deeply troubled protagonist working nocturnal shifts on the streets of New York City, using the city's chaotic atmosphere as a backdrop for a visceral portrait of loneliness and personal crisis.

Once called "Father Frank" for his efforts to rescue lives, Frank Pierce sees the ghosts of those he failed to save around every turn. He has tried everything he can to get fired, calling in sick, delaying taking calls where he might have to face one more victim he couldn't help, yet cannot quit the job on his own. Bringing Out the Dead is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 1m runtime, released in 1999 with an average rating of 6.6 by 1,253 people. The movie made an estimated total of $16,797,191 in the box office.

Joker centers on a socially isolated and mentally unstable man who becomes increasingly disillusioned with urban society, paralleling Taxi Driver's descent of a disturbed loner who is alienated by the gritty, unsympathetic city around him.

During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure. Joker is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 2m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 8.1 by 28,024 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,078,958,629 in the box office.

American Psycho also focuses on an isolated protagonist whose grip on reality slips amid urban alienation. Both films dig into themes of psychological instability, obsession, and violence as outlets for the main character's struggle to define their place in a harsh city setting.

A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies. American Psycho is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 2000 with an average rating of 7.4 by 12,485 people. The movie made an estimated total of $34,269,748 in the box office.

You Were Never Really Here features a damaged, solitary protagonist moving through an unforgiving city, confronting both external corruption and internal trauma. Like Taxi Driver, it examines an individual's deteriorating mental state against the nightmarish urban landscape.

A traumatized veteran, unafraid of violence, tracks down missing girls for a living. When a job spins out of control, Joe's nightmares overtake him as a conspiracy is uncovered—leading to what may be his death trip or his awakening. You Were Never Really Here is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 29m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.5 by 3,086 people. The movie made an estimated total of $9,400,000 in the box office.

Drive portrays a solitary driver whose nights navigating a city’s criminal underworld evoke similar urban loneliness and moral ambiguity as that faced by Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver, with both protagonists serving as silent observers and participants in the city’s darkness.

Driver is a skilled Hollywood stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals. Though he projects an icy exterior, lately he's been warming up to a pretty neighbor named Irene and her young son, Benicio. When Irene's husband gets out of jail, he enlists Driver's help in a million-dollar heist. The job goes horribly wrong, and Driver must risk his life to protect Irene and Benicio from the vengeful masterminds behind the robbery. Drive is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 7.6 by 13,817 people. The movie made an estimated total of $79,713,640 in the box office.

Falling Down, akin to Taxi Driver, depicts a protagonist who grows increasingly alienated and frustrated by the decay of city life. Both films follow men whose sense of isolation drives them toward drastic action, exploring the consequences of social disconnection.

An ordinary man frustrated with the various flaws he sees in society begins to psychotically and violently lash out against them. Falling Down is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 1993 with an average rating of 7.4 by 4,162 people. The movie made an estimated total of $40,903,593 in the box office.

Maniac shares Taxi Driver’s focus on a disturbed loner haunted by his own psychological demons, set amidst the nocturnal grit of city streets. Both films delve into the dangerous extremes to which estrangement and obsession can push a troubled character.

A psychotic man, troubled by his childhood abuse, kills and mutilates young women and local models on the streets of New York City. Maniac is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 28m runtime, released in 1980 with an average rating of 6.4 by 508 people. The movie made an estimated total of $10,000,000 in the box office.

Death Wish connects through its storyline of a single man compelled to take justice into his own hands in a city plagued by decay and crime, reflecting Taxi Driver's theme of a disillusioned protagonist confronting urban moral collapse.

After his wife is murdered by street punks, a pacifistic New York City architect becomes a one-man vigilante squad, prowling the streets for would-be muggers after dark. Death Wish is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 1974 with an average rating of 6.9 by 969 people. The movie made an estimated total of $76,600,000 in the box office.

The Machinist closely examines the mental unraveling of an isolated nightworker, paralleling Taxi Driver’s study of insomnia-induced alienation and psychological torment amidst the impersonal backdrop of city life.

Trevor, an insomniac lathe operator, experiences unusual occurrences at work and home. A strange man follows him everywhere, but no one else seems to notice him. The Machinist is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 7.5 by 6,253 people. The movie made an estimated total of $8,203,235 in the box office.

Repulsion offers a portrayal of isolation and mental deterioration in an urban environment, echoing Taxi Driver’s emphasis on psychological decline, detachment from reality, and the city as a crucible for personal breakdown.

Beautiful young manicurist Carole suffers from androphobia (the pathological fear of interaction with men). When her sister and roommate, Helen, leaves their London flat to go on an Italian holiday with her married boyfriend, Carole withdraws into her apartment. She begins to experience frightful hallucinations, her fear gradually mutating into madness. Repulsion is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 45m runtime, released in 1965 with an average rating of 7.4 by 1,119 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,100,000 in the box office.

A Clockwork Orange engages with violence, alienation, and urban decay through the experience of a socially estranged protagonist, resonating with Taxi Driver’s depiction of a solitary central character confronting a morally bankrupt city.

In a near-future Britain, young Alexander DeLarge and his pals get their kicks beating and raping anyone they please. When not destroying the lives of others, Alex swoons to the music of Beethoven. The state, eager to crack down on juvenile crime, gives an incarcerated Alex the option to undergo an invasive procedure that'll rob him of all personal agency. In a time when conscience is a commodity, can Alex change his tune? A Clockwork Orange is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 17m runtime, released in 1971 with an average rating of 8.2 by 13,973 people. The movie made an estimated total of $27,033,812 in the box office.

First Reformed explores themes of loneliness, moral despair, and the psychological burden of confronting a corrupt society, aligning with Taxi Driver’s examination of a troubled individual grappling with existential crisis in a harsh environment.

A pastor of a small church in upstate New York starts to spiral out of control after a soul-shaking encounter with an unstable environmental activist and his pregnant wife. First Reformed is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 7.0 by 1,473 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,988,612 in the box office.

Midnight Cowboy also follows a lonely outsider struggling to find connection and purpose in a grim New York City, echoing Taxi Driver’s themes of urban alienation and yearning for significance amidst the city’s indifference.

Joe Buck is a wide-eyed hustler from Texas hoping to score big with wealthy New York City women; he finds a companion in Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo, an ailing swindler with a bum leg and a quixotic fantasy of escaping to Florida. Midnight Cowboy is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 1969 with an average rating of 7.5 by 1,640 people. The movie made an estimated total of $44,785,053 in the box office.

Paris, Texas, like Taxi Driver, is a study of isolation and emotional detachment, tracing the journey of a wandering protagonist as he attempts to navigate personal demons and reconnect in a vast and often impersonal world.

A man wanders out of the desert not knowing who he is. His brother finds him, and helps to pull his memory back of the life he led before he walked out on his family and disappeared four years earlier. Paris, Texas is a movie from Germany in English, with a total 2h 25m runtime, released in 1984 with an average rating of 8.1 by 2,262 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,181,987 in the box office.

Hardcore, set partly in urban environments, centers on a determined character searching through society's underbelly, sharing Taxi Driver’s exploration of moral decay and the desperate measures individuals take in response to a corrupt city.

A conservative Midwest businessman ventures into the sordid underworld of pornography in search of his runaway teenage daughter who’s making hardcore films in the pits of Los Angeles. Hardcore is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 1979 with an average rating of 6.7 by 325 people.

Clean, Shaven presents the inner turmoil of a psychologically unstable protagonist experiencing alienation from society, echoing the mental disintegration and loneliness at the core of Taxi Driver’s narrative.

Peter Winter is a young schizophrenic who is desperately trying to get his daughter back from her adoptive family. He attempts to function in a world that, for him, is filled with strange voices, electrical noise, disconcerting images, and jarringly sudden emotional shifts. During his quest, he runs afoul of the law and an ongoing murder investigation. Clean, Shaven is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 19m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 6.5 by 104 people. The movie made an estimated total of $26,351 in the box office.

The King of Comedy probes the obsessive quest for recognition by an isolated man navigating New York, mirroring Taxi Driver’s focus on a socially awkward protagonist whose desire for validation escalates amidst urban alienation.

Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin attempts to achieve success in show business by stalking his idol, a late night talk-show host who craves his own privacy. The King of Comedy is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 1982 with an average rating of 7.8 by 2,611 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,536,000 in the box office.

After Hours immerses its protagonist in a surreal, night-time odyssey through New York City, paralleling Taxi Driver’s depiction of nocturnal journeys that fuel the character’s increasing sense of anxiety, disconnection, and uncertainty.

Desperate to escape his mind-numbing routine, uptown Manhattan office worker Paul Hackett ventures downtown for a hookup with a mystery woman. After Hours is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 37m runtime, released in 1985 with an average rating of 7.5 by 1,787 people. The movie made an estimated total of $10,609,321 in the box office.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer scrutinizes the life of an intensely detached and disturbed loner. Like Taxi Driver, it closely examines the psychological descent of a socially marginalized individual in an urban setting.

Arriving in Chicago, Henry moves in with ex-con acquaintance Otis and starts schooling him in the ways of the serial killer. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 23m runtime, released in 1986 with an average rating of 6.7 by 790 people. The movie made an estimated total of $609,939 in the box office.

Shame addresses the struggles of a lonely man in New York City as he increasingly withdraws into himself, mirroring Taxi Driver’s depiction of personal alienation, urban isolation, and the search for meaning amid emotional turmoil.

Brandon, a thirty-something man living in New York, eludes intimacy with women but feeds his deepest desires with a compulsive addiction to sex. When his younger sister temporarily moves into his apartment, stirring up bitter memories of their shared painful past, Brandon's life, like his fragile mind, gets out of control. Shame is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 6.9 by 3,451 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,909,002 in the box office.

Collateral features a driver whose nighttime journeys through a city draw him into escalating danger and moral ambiguity, resonating with Taxi Driver’s narrative of a cabbie navigating urban darkness and confronting his own boundaries.

Cab driver Max picks up a man who offers him $600 to drive him around. But the promise of easy money sours when Max realizes his fare is an assassin. Collateral is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 7.2 by 6,384 people. The movie made an estimated total of $220,239,925 in the box office.

The Conversation follows a socially withdrawn protagonist whose obsessive surveillance work in the city drives him into paranoia and alienation, echoing Taxi Driver’s exploration of isolation, psychological stress, and urban disaffection.

A paranoid, secretive surveillance expert has a crisis of conscience when he suspects that the couple he is spying on will be murdered. The Conversation is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 1974 with an average rating of 7.5 by 2,065 people. The movie made an estimated total of $4,794,457 in the box office.

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters chronicles the psychological struggles and alienation of its protagonist as he attempts to assert meaning in an indifferent world, paralleling Taxi Driver's introspective focus on existential crisis.

A fictional account of the life of Japanese author Yukio Mishima, combining dramatizations of three of his novels and a depiction of the events of November 25th, 1970. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters is a movie from United States of America in Japanese, with a total 2h 1m runtime, released in 1985 with an average rating of 7.8 by 357 people. The movie made an estimated total of $502,758 in the box office.

Buffalo '66 delves into the life of an emotionally stunted loner attempting to reconnect with society after time spent on the margins, sharing Taxi Driver’s focus on isolation, awkward attempts at intimacy, and a bleak urban setting.

Billy is released after five years in prison. In the next moment, he kidnaps teenage student Layla and visits his parents with her, pretending she is his girlfriend and they will soon marry. Buffalo '66 is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 50m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 7.1 by 1,062 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,375,097 in the box office.

One Hour Photo presents a study of obsessive loneliness and psychological breakdown in its central character, paralleling Taxi Driver’s themes of urban detachment and an individual's descent into dangerous mental territory.

Sy Parrish has lovingly developed photographs for the Yorkin family since their son was a baby. But as the Yorkins' lives become fuller, Sy's only seems lonelier, until he eventually convinces himself he's part of their family. When Sy's picture-perfect fantasy collides with an ugly dose of reality, a bizarre and thrilling confrontation ensues. One Hour Photo is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 6.7 by 1,952 people. The movie made an estimated total of $52,223,306 in the box office.

Naked depicts a protagonist wandering through the city’s nighttime streets, confronting social decay and personal despair. Both Naked and Taxi Driver offer unflinching portrayals of alienation and existential struggle amid urban desolation.

An unemployed Brit vents his rage on unsuspecting strangers as he embarks on a nocturnal London odyssey. Naked is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 2h 11m runtime, released in 1993 with an average rating of 7.3 by 680 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,769,305 in the box office.

Nightcrawler also explores the moral decay of urban life through the eyes of a solitary, increasingly unhinged protagonist who scours the nighttime city. Both films examine ambition, detachment, and the dark underbelly of their urban environments.

When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran. Nightcrawler is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 7.7 by 11,877 people. The movie made an estimated total of $47,425,835 in the box office.

Se7en delves into the psychological toll of confronting relentless urban violence through a protagonist's journey. While Taxi Driver focuses on personal alienation, both films immerse viewers in crime-ridden cities that reflect the characters’ emotional states.

Two homicide detectives are on a desperate hunt for a serial killer whose crimes are based on the "seven deadly sins" in this dark and haunting film that takes viewers from the tortured remains of one victim to the next. The seasoned Det. Somerset researches each sin in an effort to get inside the killer's mind, while his novice partner, Mills, scoffs at his efforts to unravel the case. Se7en is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 7m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 8.4 by 23,456 people. The movie made an estimated total of $327,311,859 in the box office.

Light Sleeper features a solitary character whose nocturnal activities in New York intertwine with themes of addiction, urban decay, and existential searching, closely aligning with Taxi Driver’s depiction of loneliness and the moral challenges of city life.

John LeTour is a recovering drug user who suffers insomnia and still deals to a high-end New York clientele, even though he’s trying to move on from the business. John’s professional midlife crisis becomes something more acute — and dangerous — when he re-encounters an old flame while a string of seemingly drug-related murders rocks the city. Light Sleeper is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 43m runtime, released in 1992 with an average rating of 6.7 by 222 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,055,987 in the box office.

The Wrestler studies the isolation and downward spiral of a troubled man desperate for connection and redemption, much like Taxi Driver’s exploration of personal crisis amidst a harsh, indifferent urban landscape.

Aging wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson is long past his prime but still ready and rarin' to go on the pro-wrestling circuit. After a particularly brutal beating, however, Randy hangs up his tights, pursues a serious relationship with a long-in-the-tooth stripper, and tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter. But he can't resist the lure of the ring and readies himself for a comeback. The Wrestler is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 7.5 by 4,082 people. The movie made an estimated total of $44,734,660 in the box office.

Bad Lieutenant follows a law enforcement officer spiraling into addiction and moral crisis against the backdrop of a morally compromised city, paralleling Taxi Driver's focus on a protagonist wrestling with personal demons while traversing urban decay.

While investigating a young nun's rape, a corrupt New York City police detective, with a serious drug and gambling addiction, tries to change his ways and find forgiveness. Bad Lieutenant is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 1992 with an average rating of 7.0 by 977 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,019,469 in the box office.

Martin Iden, created in the same year as Taxi Driver, follows a character driven by alienation and existential questioning, reflecting similar themes of inner turmoil and the quest for meaning within a challenging world.

Martin Iden is a movie from Soviet Union in Russian, with a total runtime, released in 1976 with an average rating of 0.0 by 0 people.

The Tenant centers on a character grappling with deteriorating mental health and growing detachment from society in an urban setting, mirroring the descent into paranoia and isolation portrayed in Taxi Driver.

A quiet and inconspicuous man rents an apartment in Paris where he finds himself drawn into a rabbit hole of dangerous paranoia. The Tenant is a movie from France in English, with a total 2h 6m runtime, released in 1976 with an average rating of 7.6 by 1,248 people. The movie made an estimated total of $5,100,000 in the box office.

Blue Collar investigates the burdens and frustrations faced by working-class characters caught in a corrupt system. Like Taxi Driver, it explores urban struggle and the disillusionment that can arise from societal neglect.

Fed up with mistreatment at the hands of both management and union brass, and coupled with financial hardships on each man's end, three auto assembly line workers hatch a plan to rob a safe at union headquarters. Blue Collar is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 1978 with an average rating of 7.3 by 203 people. The movie made an estimated total of $6,521,083 in the box office.

Metropolitan, though less grim, examines the social alienation and longing for connection of its characters navigating the city’s social currents, sharing Taxi Driver’s focus on the outsider experience and the difficulties of meaningful engagement.

A radical student is adopted by a group of young New Yorkers, serves as a catalyst to alter his and their lives. Gathering in a Manhattan apartment, the group of friends meet to discuss social mobility, Fourier's socialism and play bridge in their cocoon of upper-class society - until they are joined by a man with a critical view of their way of life. Metropolitan is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 39m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 7.0 by 189 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,900,000 in the box office.

Mysterious Skin explores the impact of trauma and detachment on young men navigating challenging environments, bearing similarities to Taxi Driver’s themes of alienation and the search for self amidst hardship.

A teenage hustler and a young man obsessed with alien abductions cross paths, together discovering a horrible, liberating truth. Mysterious Skin is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 45m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 7.7 by 1,318 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,148,548 in the box office.

Something Wild follows a character drawn impulsively from orderly life into chaotic urban adventures, creating a contrast between normalcy and the unpredictable city, paralleling Taxi Driver’s focus on characters upended by their environment.

A free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-con husband shows up. Something Wild is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 1986 with an average rating of 6.6 by 405 people. The movie made an estimated total of $8,362,969 in the box office.

Thief profiles an urban loner whose criminal profession leads to intense moral compromise and personal conflict, echoing the ways Taxi Driver explores the toll that city life and personal code can exact on an individual.

Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score. Thief is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 3m runtime, released in 1981 with an average rating of 7.2 by 865 people. The movie made an estimated total of $11,494,812 in the box office.

Sid and Nancy spotlights characters living on society's margins, caught between self-destruction and longing for connection, aligning with Taxi Driver’s exploration of personal alienation and the consequences of a harsh urban reality.

January 1978. After their success in England, the punk rock band Sex Pistols venture out on their tour of the southern United States. Temperamental bassist Sid Vicious is forced by his band mates to travel without his troubled girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, who will meet him in New York. When the band breaks up and Sid begins his solo career in a hostile city, the turbulent couple definitely falls into the depths of drug addiction. Sid and Nancy is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 1986 with an average rating of 6.7 by 578 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,826,523 in the box office.

Mystic River examines the psychological scars left by urban trauma and the profound sense of isolation experienced by those at its center, resonating with Taxi Driver’s intimate portrayal of a troubled individual confronting an unforgiving environment.

The lives of three men who were childhood friends are shattered when one of them suffers a family tragedy. Mystic River is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 18m runtime, released in 2003 with an average rating of 7.7 by 7,577 people. The movie made an estimated total of $156,800,000 in the box office.