Cruising

Tagline: “Al Pacino is cruising for a killer.” 

Directed + Written by William Friedkin (The Exorcist guy!)

Staring: Al Pacino, Paul Sorvino, Joe Spinell, Ed O'Neill, William Russ, Mike Starr, so many people you'll recognize. Oh and I guess Karen Allen was in it... 

Subgenre: LGBT - wants to be Giallo, so it's a leather slasher.

My review: Cruising is an interesting film. I understand what Friedkin was doing... I don't think it is effective though. It's a truly rare case of - I do think this was problematic when it came out but I don’t think it’s problematic now. In the 2020's it plays less like gay men are killers and do weird BDSM stuff, and more like a life lesson on the dangers of going off alone with someone - in the 80's they were still learning that one. Of the gritty 1980s NYC horror movies it's certainly the best, especially when compared to the even more homophobic Windows.