Prestige Sleaze: Cruising
June 11 - 19, 2024
Cruising dives into the undercover world of a detective probing New York's gay leather scene for a serial killer. Al Pacino's gritty performance navigates the shadows of desire and danger, unraveling a web of secrets that tests his identity and duty. A provocative thriller pushing boundaries with every pulse.
One of the most notorious films of the 1980s, this controversial thriller directed by William Friedkin stars Al Pacino as Steve Burns, an NYPD officer who goes undercover in Manhattan’s kinky leather-bar underground in order to track down a serial killer targeting gay men. The film immerses viewers in a thrilling and controversial exploration of identity, desire, and deception. As Pacino's character delves deeper into this dark subculture, navigating a maze of secrets and danger, tensions escalate, blurring the lines between duty and personal discovery. Cruising dares to push boundaries, challenging societal norms while delivering a gripping tale of mystery and intrigue. Cruising, a true taboo-breaker in what could be shown on-screen in an American studio picture, continues to fascinate, both as a glimpse of New York’s gay scene before the AIDS crisis and as a stylish, tantalizingly ambiguous take on the giallo genre.
- Director: Wiliam Friedkin
- Principal Cast: Al Pacino, Karen Allen, Paul Sorvino
- Country: USA
- Year: 1980
- Running Time: 106 min.
- Producer: Jerry Weintraub
- Screenplay: William Friedkin
- Cinematographers: James Contner
- Editors: Bud Smith
- Music: Jack Nitzsche
- Filmography: The Exorcist, The French Connection, Sorcerer
- Language: English
- US Distributor: Warner Brothers