Taxi Driver

Right now you can watch Taxi Driver in Australia on Netflix and Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel, and in the US on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel — and it earns its twists rather than manufacturing them. The length is exactly right for the story it is telling — nothing rushed, nothing dragged out. An 8/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Robert De Niro anchors it, but the writing does the real work. Available now on Netflix — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Taxi Driver is worth clearing space for. The plotting gives Taxi Driver its backbone, but it is the characters you come back for. Suffering from insomnia, disturbed loner Travis Bickle takes a job as a New York City cabbie, haunting the streets nightly, growing increasingly detached from reality as he dreams of cleaning up the filthy city. Robert De Niro and Jodie Foster lead a cast that gives the tension real weight. It hit screens in 1976. The plot mechanics of Taxi Driver never overwhelm the human cost underneath them. It rarely drops the ball, and when it does, it recovers fast.

For anyone who wants their crime drama to earn its twists, Taxi Driver delivers. If you have run out of similar titles to watch, this is a strong next pick. Short enough to finish in one sitting, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Robert De Niro carries scenes that would sink a lesser production. The resolution feels inevitable rather than arbitrary, which is rarer than it sounds.