Netflix has seen a late 2000s revenge thriller, starring one of Hollywood's most iconic actresses, become a surprise hit among subscribers. The film, featuring Jodie Foster of The Silence of the Lambs fame and directed by Neil Jordan (Interview with the Vampire), has climbed to the number five position on Netflix's film chart.
It currently outperforms iconic superhero films such as Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, as well as another cult favourite added this week, Jennifer's Body.
Plot of The Brave One
The Brave One follows Foster as radio host Erica Bain, who, along with her fiancé Dr David Kirmani (played by Naveen Andrews), is attacked by a group of thugs in New York's Central Park. After David dies from his injuries, Erica is driven to revenge, purchasing a pistol and embarking on a reckless spree of vigilante killings while attempting to track down her fiancé's murderers.
Meanwhile, she forms a friendship with Detective Sean Mercer (Terrence Howard), who begins to suspect that Erica has taken justice into her own hands.
Critical Reception and Cult Following
Although the film received mixed reviews upon its release in 2007, scoring just 43 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, The Brave One has gradually developed a cult following. Many fans have compared it favourably to Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, which featured one of Foster's earliest roles as sex worker Iris.
One strong review from an IMDb user called it a "modern Taxi Driver," with Foster's revenge-fuelled Erica taking the place of Robert De Niro's iconic Travis Bickle. "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 called the film "basically a woman's version of Taxi Driver," noting one scene that feels directly lifted from the 1976 classic. "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, adding, "Jodie Foster was born to play this role."
A fan on Letterboxd concurred, declaring, "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 review. 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."
While a final enthusiast gave it a ringing endorsement: "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!!"
Streaming on Netflix
Hundreds of Netflix UK users have already discovered this noughties classic, so make sure you join them and prepare for a white-knuckle tale of violence and revenge. The Brave One is available to stream on Netflix.
