One of my favorite screenwriters of all time is Paul Schrader. He's also a film director and film critic. Some of his famous works are Taxi Driver (1976), Raging Bull (1980), American Gigolo (1980), and the thriller First Reformed (2017), which earned him his first Academy Award nomination.  A frequent collaborator of Martin Scorsese, Schrader has a distinct point of view and his movies often challenge morality and humanity. 

His screenplays are sparse, and his voice has evolved since he wrote the verbose Taxi Driver. It's really interesting to see how much he's changed as a writer and as an artist, while always being authentically himself. 


Read his scripts, download the PDFS, and educate yourselves. 

Read and Download Paul Schrader Screenplays 

The Yakuza (1974)

Screenplay by Paul Schrader, Leonard Schrader, and Robert Towne

Taxi Driver (1976)

Screenplay by Paul Schrader

Obsession (1976)

Screenplay by Paul Schrader

Rolling Thunder (1977)

Screenplay by Paul Schrader

Blue Collar (1978)

Directed and Screenplay by Paul Schrader

Hardcore (1979)

Directed and Screenplay by Paul Schrader

Raging Bull (1980)

Screenplay by Paul Schrader and Mardik Martin

Cat People (1982)

Directed by Paul Schrader

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)

Directed and Screenplay by Paul Schrader

The Mosquito Coast (1986)

Screenplay by Paul Schrader

The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)

Screenplay by Paul Schrader

Light Sleeper (1992)

Directed and Screenplay by Paul Schrader

Affliction (1997)

Directed and Screenplay by Paul Schrader

Bring Out the Dead (1999)

Screenplay by Paul Schrader

First Reformed (2017)

Directed and Screenplay by Paul Schrader

The Card Counter (2021)

Directed and Screenplay by Paul Schrader