Joker: Every Easter Egg & Reference We Spotted
23. Taxi Driver
You needn't be a film student to appreciate that Joker bears a tonal and stylistic similarity to several of Martin Scorsese's classic films, and Scorsese himself was originally intended to executive-produce the film until commitments on The Irishman got in the way.
Aesthetically, the film presents a Gotham City that bears an uncanny resemblance to the decaying New York City depicted in both Scorsese's Mean Streets and especially Taxi Driver.
The Taxi Driver nods become more overt when you consider the blatant billboards outside porno theaters visible when Arthur is wandering the streets, instantly reminding Scorsese fans of when Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) awkwardly took Betsy (Cybill Shepherd) on a date to a porno movie.
Furthermore, there's Arthur's similar obsession with a major political figure - in this case Thomas Wayne (Brett Cullen) - and the numerous times he puts a finger to his temple and imitates blowing his brains out ala Bickle in Taxi Driver's unforgettably bloody climax.