The Greatest '70s Thriller Still Feels Terrifyingly Relevant Today
Decades after its release, the best 1970s thriller still feels disturbingly relevant. Many of the movie's themes, which seemed to be tied to the era at the time, arguably land even harder today. Here's why Taxi Driver remains so unsettling.
Why Taxi Driver Still Feels So Relevant Today
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In some ways, the world that Martin Scorsese depicted in his 1976 masterpiece looks very different from today. The most obvious example of that is the gritty New York that the film captured barely resembles the family-friendly destination it has become. Yet, several of the core aspects of the movie's themes still feel hauntingly familiar to modern viewers.
Given recent events, one of the most obvious and tragic ways that Taxi Driver feels far too current is how it depicts its main character turning to violence. Since there have been far too many real-life instances of people committing acts of political violence in recent years, seeing Travis Bickle plan something similar feels eerily real.
One of the most compelling parts of Taxi Driver is watching a man grapple with extreme loneliness as he struggles to build any real connections despite being constantly surrounded by people. That feels all too relatable now, as people who feel isolated and lonely can go online and endlessly scroll through images of others seemingly living full lives.
Those are only two of the many ways that Taxi Driver feels like a surprisingly current story. The film also captures the dangers of untreated mental health issues in a way that has barely aged. Given how timeless the film is in many ways, it is no wonder it continues to be praised.
Taxi Driver Has Often Been Named the Best '70s Thriller
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For movie fans, Flickchart is a wonderful website that allows you to formulate lists of your favorite movies in any genre simply by making a series of simple film ranking choices. The website also aggregates the choices of all its users to create universal lists. According to Flickchart's many users, Taxi Driver is the best thriller from the '70s.
In November 2025, Collider published an article that listed the best films from the '70s, divided into each of the major genres. Similar to Flickchart's users, the outlet named Taxi Driver as the best that genre had to offer during the decade. Those are only two of many times the movie has been celebrated in that way.
It is also worth noting that the Robert De Niro movie has also been praised for being a masterpiece outside of the context of its genre and era. A perfect example of that came in 1996 when Roger Ebert described Taxi Driver as "one of the best and most powerful of all films."