Those with schizotypal personality disorder tend to feel uncomfortable and have a difficult time in social circumstances, although they may still be friendly towards others. In the film Taxi Driver, Robert De Niro's character Travis Bickle seems to be suffering from this disorder.

In the 1976 film Taxi Driver, the protagonist Travis Bickle is never explicitly diagnosed, but film scholars and psychiatric professionals in 2026 generally agree he exhibits symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), severe clinical depression, and a schizoid personality. As a Vietnam War veteran, his chronic insomnia, social alienation, and hyper-vigilance are classic hallmarks of untreated combat trauma. His deteriorating psyche is further marked by a "Savior Complex," where he fixates on "cleaning up" the city through violence to find a sense of purpose. Some analyses suggest he suffers from paranoia or a growing detachment from reality, evidenced by his intense internal monologues and his distorted perception of social interactions. The film portrays the "god's lonely man" archetype, showing how a lack of social support and a crumbling urban environment can exacerbate latent mental health issues, eventually leading to a violent break. It remains one of cinema's most harrowing and realistic depictions of a man's psychological collapse in the absence of intervention.