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Cruising

Play trailer Poster for Cruising R Released Feb 8, 1980 1h 46m Crime Drama LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
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49% Tomatometer 65 Reviews 48% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A psychopath is scouring New York City gay clubs and viciously slaying homosexuals. Detective Steve Burns (Al Pacino) is ordered to don leather attire, hang at the city's S&M joints and keep an eye out for the killer. But as Steve becomes immersed in club hopping, he begins to identify with the subculture more than he expected. Meanwhile, Steve behaves distantly around his girlfriend, Nancy (Karen Allen), the police force's homophobia becomes apparent and the killer remains at large.
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Cruising

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Critics Consensus

Cruising glides along confidently thanks to filmmaking craft and Al Pacino's committed performance, but this hot-button thriller struggles to engage its subject matter sensitively or justify its brutality.

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Critics Reviews

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Anton Bitel Little White Lies Here Steve's 'undercover' status serves as a metaphor for his closetedness (and vice versa) - while murder is committed at the behest of an internalised paternal voice of authority that regards homosexuality as a guilt that must be bloodily expunged. Aug 19, 2019 Full Review Charles Champlin Los Angeles Times The principal complaint, artistically, about Cruising is that it is not very clear at the rudimentary level of exposition of character and event. The problem... is in a script that never seems sure enough what it wants to say or prove. Apr 29, 2019 Full Review Bruce McCabe Boston Globe William Friedkin's Cruising is a work of art. Apr 27, 2018 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand Seen with hindsight, it’s an interesting (if not necessarily satisfying) film, part sideshow and part art film dive into a subculture... A fascinating artefact but ultimately wanting. Nov 16, 2024 Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com …a mixed bag even for hardened sensation-seekers…it’s hard to argue Cruising is a thoughtful, sensitive view of the NYC gay community; it feels more like a sensationalistic, exploitative take… Rated: 2/5 Oct 5, 2024 Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills ...it’s still a very problematic movie nonetheless valuable for its glimpse of a flourishing pre-AIDS fetish milieu. Sep 30, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (414) audience reviews
Sam G Sure, it's got sensationalistic exploitation. Still, Pacino gives a terrific performance in a movie that was extremely controversial in its day and still will make some people--at the very least--uneasy. It's engaging and thought-provoking and a reasonable watch. And there's a decent detective story underneath. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/23/24 Full Review john p absolutely exploded to the interrogation scene 10/10 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/21/24 Full Review jimmy b Sniff your poppers and cruise through this wild ride. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/20/24 Full Review Jerod S If the cop from the village people were a serial killer. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/25/24 Full Review Alec B I hope one day, however unlikely, we will get to see the original 140 minute cut of the movie as it stands now it is a little too thinly drawn. That said this just doesn't deserve the scorn it continues to receive and when Friedkin is propelling the plot with his documentary style it can be quite compelling. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/10/24 Full Review Scott H Just, overall, a terrible film. Hard to believe that Friedkin directed this. Really dumb plot development at the end. Avoid. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/08/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cruising

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Movie Info

Synopsis A psychopath is scouring New York City gay clubs and viciously slaying homosexuals. Detective Steve Burns (Al Pacino) is ordered to don leather attire, hang at the city's S&M joints and keep an eye out for the killer. But as Steve becomes immersed in club hopping, he begins to identify with the subculture more than he expected. Meanwhile, Steve behaves distantly around his girlfriend, Nancy (Karen Allen), the police force's homophobia becomes apparent and the killer remains at large.
Director
William Friedkin
Producer
Jerry Weintraub
Screenwriter
William Friedkin, Gerald Walker
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
United Artists, Lorimar Film Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 8, 1980, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 21, 2016
Runtime
1h 46m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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