Detective Taxi Films – A Unique Ride

Description: While not centered around a taxi driver, the film features a famous car chase where a taxi is involved. Detective Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) pursues a drug smuggler through the streets of New York.

Fact: The car chase was filmed without permission from the city, leading to real chaos on the streets.

Description: A group of armed men hijack a New York City subway train, demanding a ransom. The detective in charge, Lt. Garber (Walter Matthau), uses a taxi driver's knowledge of the city to coordinate the response.

Fact: The film was remade in 2009 with Denzel Washington and John Travolta.

Description: An American private eye (Robert Mitchum) travels to Japan to rescue a friend's daughter, getting entangled in the world of the Yakuza. A taxi ride becomes a key moment in his investigation.

Fact: The film was one of the first Hollywood productions to explore the Yakuza culture in depth.

Description: Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) is an insomniac taxi driver who roams the streets of New York City, witnessing the city's decay. His encounters with various passengers, including a young prostitute, lead him down a dark path of vigilante justice.

Fact: The iconic "You talkin' to me?" line was improvised by Robert De Niro during filming.

Description: This anthology film by Jim Jarmusch features five taxi rides in five different cities, each with its own unique story. One segment involves a taxi driver in Los Angeles who inadvertently becomes part of a crime scene.

Fact: The film was shot in black and white, except for the Los Angeles segment, which was filmed in color.

Description: An ex-convict (Terence Stamp) arrives in Los Angeles to investigate his daughter's death. His journey involves a taxi ride where he pieces together clues, leading to a confrontation with a music producer.

Fact: The film's non-linear narrative was inspired by the editing techniques of Jean-Luc Godard.

Description: In this Coen Brothers' film noir, Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton) is a barber who gets involved in a blackmail scheme, leading him into a world of crime and mystery. His taxi ride with a client becomes a pivotal moment in the story.

Fact: The film was shot in black and white to evoke the feel of classic film noir.

Description: In this neo-noir thriller, a taxi driver named Max (Jamie Foxx) unwittingly becomes the driver for a hitman, Vincent (Tom Cruise), for one night. Max's ordinary life turns into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse as he tries to survive and help the police catch Vincent.

Fact: The film was shot almost entirely at night, and Jamie Foxx learned to drive a taxi for his role, despite not having a driver's license.

Description: A getaway driver (Ryan O'Neal) is hired by a gang to pull off a heist. When the job goes wrong, he must evade the relentless detective (Bruce Dern) who's determined to catch him, leading to a thrilling chase through the city.

Fact: Walter Hill, the director, was inspired by Jean-Pierre Melville's film "Le Samouraï."

Description: While not strictly a detective film, it involves a road trip where a taxi driver, Brett (William Hurt), picks up two young hitchhikers. Their journey becomes a quest for personal redemption, with elements of mystery and discovery.

Fact: The film was adapted from a Japanese short story by Pete Hamill.