‘Fantastic’ thriller called better than Taxi Driver storms up Netflix chart (Image: COLUMBIA PICTURES)
A late 2000s revenge thriller starring one of Hollywood’s most legendary actresses is now streaming on Netflix, and it has emerged as an unexpected hit among subscribers.
Featuring The Silence of the Lambs icon Jodie Foster and helmed by Neil Jordan (Interview with the Vampire), this bona fide cult classic has rocketed to the number five spot on Netflix‘s film chart.
It is currently outperforming iconic superhero blockbusters Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, as well as another cult favourite added to the platform this week, Jennifer’s Body.
The Brave One follows Foster as radio presenter Erica Bain who, together with her fiancé Dr David Kirmani (played by Naveen Andrews), is brutally attacked by a gang of thugs in New York’s Central Park.
When David succumbs to his injuries, Erica is consumed by a desire for vengeance, acquiring a pistol and embarking on a reckless spree of vigilante killings while desperately hunting down her fiancé’s murderers, reports the Mirror.
A radio host goes on a revenge-fuelled killing spree while her detective friend closes in (Image: WARNER BROS)
In the meantime, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Detective Sean Mercer (Terrence Howard), who begins to harbour suspicions that Erica has decided to take the law into her own hands.
Despite receiving a mixed critical reception upon its release in 2007, scoring a modest 43 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, The Brave One has steadily cultivated a devoted cult following, with many drawing favourable comparisons to Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, which featured one of Foster’s earliest roles as sex worker Iris.
One glowing review from an IMDb user described it as a “modern Taxi Driver” with Foster’s revenge-driven Erica assuming the mantle of Robert De Niro’s legendary Travis Bickle.
Jodie Foster took on the visceral revenge thriller 30 years after Taxi Driver (Image: WARNER BROS)
“The Brave One is a fantastic film with a very good plot, good direction and acting,” they said. “I find it very similar in themes to Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and Jodie Foster’s character (Erica) is like Travis in Taxi Driver, playing a character who is originally minding her own business, but finally becomes a victim of the society, and decides to take revenge and run the law by herself.”
Another labelled the film “basically a woman’s version of Taxi Driver” with one particular scene that appears to draw direct inspiration from the 1976 masterpiece.
“That being said, that doesn’t make this a bad movie because all artists steal. Where Brave One gets interesting is in the way it deals with gender,” they explained, and added: “Jodie Foster was born to play this role.”
Underrated noughties thriller The Brave One is the fifth most popular film on Netflix (Image: WARNER BROS)
A devotee on Letterboxd echoed this sentiment, proclaiming “Movie theory: Jodie Foster waited 30 years only to be starring in her own much better version of Taxi Driver” in their four-and-a-half-star assessment.
And another agreed: “It’s like Taxi Driver, only instead of a psychopathic cab driver like Travis, it’s prostitute Iris all grown up as a radio host.” One particularly passionate viewer offered a glowing verdict: “Wowzers. This was such a great, intense, emotional and meaningful film. Jodie Foster is such a phenomenal actress. The final scene was so suspenseful and meaningful.. LOVED IT!!”
Hundreds of Netflix UK subscribers appear to have already rediscovered this noughties gem, so ensure you don’t miss out and brace yourself for a nail-biting story of violence and retribution.
The Brave One is available to stream on Netflix.