‘Taxi Driver’ Leaves Netflix in January 2026

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A classic Martin Scorsese film, famous for a reported on-set conflict, is leaving Netflix soon. Released in 1976, Taxi Driver is considered one of his greatest works, alongside films like Mean Streets, Goodfellas, The Wolf of Wall Street, King of Comedy, and the often-overlooked Silence. Originally seen as a dark satire of New York City, the film now feels surprisingly current and realistic—even Scorsese himself agrees. Get ready to say goodbye to Taxi Driver on streaming.

The classic film Taxi Driver is currently available on Netflix, but it will be removed from the platform on January 1, 2026. Directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Paul Schrader, the movie stars Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, a war veteran working as a taxi driver in New York City. As Travis navigates the city’s underbelly, his mental state deteriorates, leading him to take extreme measures to combat the crime he witnesses. The film’s story centers on this descent and his attempts to ‘clean up’ the streets.

Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), a lonely and insomniac man, becomes a New York City taxi driver. As he drives the city streets at night, he becomes more and more disconnected from the world around him, fixating on a desire to cleanse the city of its perceived corruption. After meeting a campaign worker named Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), he becomes consumed with the idea of making a difference, initially considering assassinating a presidential candidate before turning his focus to rescuing a young prostitute named Iris (Jodie Foster).

Starring Robert De Niro and a young Jodie Foster, Taxi Driver is widely considered one of the most important and acclaimed films of the 1970s – and perhaps of all time. The movie vividly captures the gritty atmosphere of 1970s New York, thanks to Michael Chapman’s stunning cinematography, and De Niro’s powerful portrayal of Travis Bickle. In 1977, it received four Academy Award nominations, including nods for De Niro and Jodie Foster, and a Best Picture nomination. Today, Taxi Driver maintains an impressive 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences giving it an even higher score of 93%. Many viewers consider it a true masterpiece, with one user declaring it “one of the greatest films ever made.” The cast also included Cybil Shepherd, Harvey Keitel, Victor Ango, Diahnne Abbott, Peter Boyle, and Albert Brooks.

Did Martin Scorsese Almost Kill Someone Over ‘Taxi Driver’?


Columbia Pictures

The film Taxi Driver is known for its intense violence, and director Martin Scorsese reportedly became very focused on this aspect while making it. There’s a story that he was so upset when the studio asked him to remove the violent shootout at the end of the movie that he nearly came to blows with the studio head.

There were rumors that Martin Scorsese threatened a studio executive, but a 2025 Apple TV+ documentary, Mr. Scorsese, reveals he only considered getting a gun. Directors Brian De Palma and Steven Spielberg talked him out of it. The issue was resolved simply by reducing the amount of blood shown in the scene, which satisfied both the ratings boards and the studio.

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2025-12-14 20:05