Robert De Niro’s legendary thriller movie is on TV tonight

The film is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made.

The 1976 film follows Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), an isolated ex-Marine suffering from insomnia who takes a night job as a New York City cab driver. Haunting the streets nightly, he grows increasingly detached from reality while dreaming of cleaning up the filthy city.

When Travis meets campaign worker Betsy (Cybill Shepherd), he becomes obsessed with the idea of saving the world, first plotting to assassinate a presidential candidate, before directing his attentions toward rescuing 12-year-old sex worker Iris (Jodie Foster).

Watch the trailer for Taxi Driver right here:

Also starring Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, and Peter Boyle, Taxi Driver's depiction of a man whose loneliness drifts him towards radicalisation and vigilantism proved darkly prophetic.

Making this tale hit even harder is Scorsese's stylish yet still believable and tactile depiction of NYC, as well as legendary composer Bernard Herrmann's haunting jazzy score, and De Niro's electrifying performance.

As discussed in last year's brilliant documentary series Mr Scorsese, the actor improvised the most famous scene in Taxi Driver. This is when Travis stares into his mirror and asks: "You talkin' to me?"

De Niro was nominated for Best Actor at the Oscars but lost to Peter Finch for his turn in Network. He would win the award four years later for another Scorsese collaboration, Raging Bull.

Taxi Driver is airing on TV tonight on BBC Four at 9pm. It's also available to rent on Apple TV, Google Play, Prime Video, Rakuten TV, and the Sky Store.

Here are the other movies on TV tonight:

Beast - Film4 - 9pm

The movie where Idris Elba fights a lion.

The Yards - Legend - 9pm

An excellent 2000 crime drama about an ex-con (Mark Wahlberg) in New York whose family offers him a job at their railway car repair company, drawing him into a world of sabotage, high-stakes payoffs and murder.

Rambo - Legend Xtra - 9pm

Sylvester Stallone's fourth, highly violent outing as action man John Rambo.

The Dukes of Hazzard - Comedy Central - 9pm

The critically-panned big screen spin-off of the '70s/80s action comedy series.

The Last Duel - Film4 - 9pm

Adam Driver, Ben Affleck, Jodie Comer and Matt Damon headline this epic historical drama set in 14th-century France, which was partly filmed in Ireland.

Funeral in Berlin - BBC Four - 10.50pm

The sequel to Michael Caine's spy movie The Ipcress File.

Papillion - Legend Xtra - 10.55pm

Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek headline this 2017 remake of the iconic '70s prison drama of the same name.

12 Rounds - Film4 - 11.15pm

It's John Cena vs Aidan Gillen in this watchable action thriller that is basically a Die Hard 3 knock-off.

The Blackening - BBC Two - 12.05am

A very fun meta horror comedy about seven friends who go away for the weekend, only to find themselves trapped in a cabin with a killer who has a vendetta.