The Driller Killer

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Wayne K You can always count on Abel Ferrara to bring you a raw and ruthless depiction of New York life, and that’s exactly what he does with The Driller Killer. It’s a film that was really pushed on the basis of its gore and brutality, even though those elements look very tame by today’s standards, so much so that it ended up on the Video Nasty list. The shortcomings, be they budgetary or otherwise, are plain to see. Poor audio and visual quality, obviously non-professional actors in the principle roles, scenes that were clearly filmed without permits and amateurish blood and butchery effect. That being said, I’ll take a cheap film with something real to say than a slick and glossy product with nothing between the ears. Ferrara himself takes on the lead role, and it’s clear that he’s better off behind the camera than in front of it. The film doesn’t do enough to justify his rampage, whether that’s because Ferrara doesn’t convey the slip into madness very well or because so much time is devoted to the band that keeps him up at night, focusing more on their music than on the effect it’s having on him. That being said, the film doesn’t shy away from the depicting the ugly side of New York: the homeless crisis, the drunk and druggies and the prevalent destitution. Whatever flaws it may have, much of it can be chalked up the paltry budget, and Ferrara obviously has a lot to say about struggling artists trying to make it in a world that cares little about their craft, or them as human begins. Add a series of random and brutal kills, and you get a fun, if uneven, exploitation film. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/04/25 Full Review Maksim S The Driller Killer aims for cult B-movie greatness, clearly aspiring to join the ranks of low-budget shock classics. Unfortunately, ambition can’t mask its chaotic execution: awkward pacing, shoddy camerawork, and uneven performances conspire to make the film frustratingly unwatchable. What might have been a grimly inventive homage to grindhouse horror instead collapses under its own pretensions, leaving little more than a frustrating footnote in exploitation cinema. Rated 1.5/5 Stars •  Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 11/02/25 Full Review Adam B A true milestone and frontrunner or top film of the 70s grindhouse era, The Driller Killer is full of those grimy environments, synthetic sounds, trippy imagery, and bloody kills. Every character is not easily forgotten and the main character/antagonist is one of the most haunting I've seen in a while. The opening 20 minutes does involve some major confusion in direction and perhaps the ending drags a bit, but this is a film that needs to be watched to be able to claim experience in all eras of horror. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/05/25 Full Review Pet N Classic NYC grit sleaze with arthouse leanings. The ramshackle cuts and open-ended resolve add to the overall chaos of this B movie splatter fest. This one's a blast! Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/22/23 Full Review steve d No longer shocking so not much is there. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Disjointed, no reason for the main character to do the things they did. Poorly edited, a fun and gory Halloween movie but not worth a rental. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Read all reviews

The Driller Killer

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