Martin Scorsese’s 'The Aviator' is a masterclass in capturing obsessive ambition. It’s a story of grand vision, staggering wealth, and the personal demons that shadow them. For those who love that blend, here are 10 underrated gems.
1. Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988)
Jeff Bridges plays
Preston Tucker, a charismatic engineer who challenges Detroit's Big Three with a revolutionary car design in the 1940s. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, the film mirrors Howard Hughes's battle against established powers. It's a visually stunning and optimistic, yet cautionary, tale about a visionary crushed by the system, sharing 'The Aviator's' DNA of American ingenuity and corporate warfare.
2. The Founder (2016)
Michael Keaton gives a ferocious performance as Ray Kroc, the man who turned McDonald's into a global empire. Like Hughes, Kroc is a figure of relentless, almost terrifying ambition. The film brilliantly charts his transformation from a struggling salesman to a ruthless tycoon, showcasing the dark side of the American dream and the moral compromises made for success. It’s a compelling and often unsettling watch.
3. Chaplin (1992)
Before Leonardo DiCaprio embodied Hughes, Robert Downey Jr. gave a tour-de-force performance as another 20th-century icon, Charlie Chaplin. This sweeping biopic covers Chaplin’s rise from poverty to global fame and his subsequent fall from grace. It has the same epic scope, exploring the complexities of a genius grappling with fame, politics, and personal relationships, making it a perfect companion piece.
4. Hoffa (1992)
Jack Nicholson disappears into the role of controversial Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa. The film is a sprawling, non-linear epic about a powerful and deeply flawed man who built an empire and made powerful enemies along the way. Much like 'The Aviator', it’s a character study about a titan of industry and influence whose ambition ultimately leads to a mysterious and tragic end.
5. Quiz Show (1994)
Directed by Robert Redford, this film dissects the 1950s quiz show scandals, a pivotal moment in media history. It explores themes of ambition, ethics, and public manipulation, mirroring Hughes's own complex relationship with the media and celebrity culture. The meticulously crafted period detail and sharp script about the loss of American innocence make it a thematic cousin to Scorsese’s epic.
6. A Most Violent Year (2014)
Set in New York City in 1981, this simmering thriller stars Oscar Isaac as an ambitious heating-oil entrepreneur trying to expand his business while navigating corruption and violence. The film’s tension comes not from explosive action but from the immense pressure on its protagonist to compromise his morals. It’s a story about the precariousness of building an empire, echoing Hughes's constant battles to stay afloat.
7. Pollock (2000)
Ed Harris directs and gives an Oscar-nominated performance as Jackson Pollock, the brilliant but self-destructive abstract expressionist painter. The film is an intense, unflinching look at the link between genius and madness. It shares 'The Aviator’s' fascination with the tortured inner life of a visionary whose groundbreaking work is inseparable from his personal demons and battles with mental health.
8. The Current War (2017)
This film chronicles the 'war of the currents' between Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), with Nikola Tesla (Nicholas Hoult) also in the mix. It's a story of innovation, ego, and high-stakes corporate rivalry. Overlooked due to a troubled release, it perfectly captures the 'Aviator' vibe of brilliant minds battling to shape the future, whatever the cost.
9. First Man (2018)
While Neil Armstrong is a national hero, not a controversial tycoon, this film focuses on the immense personal sacrifice and obsessive focus required to achieve the impossible. Director Damien Chazelle creates an intimate, often claustrophobic portrait of the man behind the myth. Critically acclaimed but a box office disappointment, it mirrors 'The Aviator's' exploration of the internal cost of monumental ambition.
10. The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
For a more whimsical but thematically similar choice, the Coen Brothers’ film is a visual feast. It's a satirical take on big business, invention, and ambition in 1950s New York. While its tone is far lighter than 'The Aviator', its story of a naive idealist whose simple invention (the hula hoop) catapults him to the top of a massive corporation captures the same spirit of unpredictable innovation and the dizzying heights of success.
