X
- 1980
- R
- United Artists
- 1 h 42 m
- 1980
- R
- United Artists
- 1 h 42 m
Summary A police detective (Al Pacino) goes undercover in the underground S&M gay subculture of New York City to catch a serial killer who is preying on gay men.
Directed By: William Friedkin
Written By: Gerald Walker, William Friedkin
- 1980
- R
- United Artists
- 1 h 42 m
- 1980
- R
- United Artists
- 1 h 42 m
Cruising
43
7.3
Where to Watch
Summary A police detective (Al Pacino) goes undercover in the underground S&M gay subculture of New York City to catch a serial killer who is preying on gay men.
Directed By: William Friedkin
Written By: Gerald Walker, William Friedkin
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 18 Critic Reviews
43
33% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
17% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
50% Negative
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 18 Critic Reviews
43
33% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
17% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
50% Negative
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
A great film of the urban, North American night. His voyeuristic camera roams the streets that come alive with sexual promenades after sunset, and it lingers in noisy, jam-packed bars, watching men search for the man of their fantasies.
One of the most original thrillers of the 1980s. It's a lurid, twisted film that brings you into its world and completely works you over.
In its shameless excavation and exploitation of the killer-queen archetype–the homosexual so riddled with self-loathing and guilt that they feel an insatiable urge to kill and punish others–the film is bad politics and dodgy, flawed filmmaking, but it's weirdly resonant and thoroughly haunting all the same.
What Friedkin's film is about is anybody's guess. If he just wanted to make a thriller, he has made a clumsy and unconvincing one. If he wanted to explore the psychology of his characters, he has left out most of the relevant information. If he intended to illuminate the tricky subject of S&M, he hasn't even scratched the surface. "Cruising" is quite effective in working up an atmosphere of dread: the ominous bar scenes are butch grand guignol, full of sweaty flesh, menacing shadows and barely glimpsed acts of degradation performed by glowering, bearded men in black leather and chains. But who are these people and why are they doing all these kinky things? Friedkin isn't interested in explaining his milieu; he merely offers it up as a superficially shocking tableau for the titillation and horror of his audience. [18 Feb 1980, p.92]
Cruising is more of an exploitation effort as opposed to a genuine mind-bender. The film concentrates on the gay underground in New York City, although Friedkin's take on a sexually charged mystery is more funny than challenging
Viewers are spared nothing as Steve Burns undergoes degrading brutality after brutality; virtually nobody is portrayed sympathetically.
Like any approach to the bizarre, it is fascinating for about 15 minutes. In many respects, Cruising [from the novel by Gerald Walker] resembles the worst of the ‘hippie’ films of the 1960s. Taking away the kissing, caressing and a few bloody killings, Friedkin has no story, though picture pretends to be a murder mystery combined with a study of Al Pacino’s psychological degradation.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 12 User Ratings
7.3
67% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
33% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 12 User Ratings
7.3
67% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
33% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Awards
Razzie Awards
• 3 Nominations
Satellite Awards
• 1 Nomination
The Stinkers Bad Movie Awards
• 1 Nomination
