Cruising

"Al Pacino is Cruising for a killer."

1980 1h 42m EN

👍

6.6

SOLID

★6.6TMDB · 660

CrimeMysteryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When New York is caught in the grip of a sadistic serial killer who preys on patrons of the city's underground bars, rookie cop Steve Burns infiltrates the gay S&M subculture to try and lure him out of the shadows.

“Al Pacino is Cruising for a killer.”

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Cast

Al Pacino
Steve Burns
Paul Sorvino
Capt. Edelson
Karen Allen
Nancy Gates
Richard Cox
Stuart Richards
Don Scardino
Ted Bailey
Joe Spinell
Patrolman DiSimone
Jay Acovone
Skip Lee
Gene Davis
DaVinci

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: William Friedkin
Writers: William Friedkin
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America, Germany

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

46 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Germany.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by William Friedkin, shot by James A. Contner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jack Nitzsche. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Bud S. Smith shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Al Pacino and Paul Sorvino and Karen Allen carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Al Pacino is Cruising for a killer.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0080569 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

William Friedkin directs. James A. Contner behind the camera. Jack Nitzsche scores. Bud S. Smith cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America, Germany. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

146 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2International production across 2 countries: United States of America, Germany.
3Directed by William Friedkin, shot by James A. Contner. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Jack Nitzsche. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Bud S. Smith shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Al Pacino and Paul Sorvino and Karen Allen carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Al Pacino is Cruising for a killer.".
8IMDB entry: tt0080569 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 26 themes, including "new york city", "police", "undercover", "homophobia".

The technical file

Cinematography: James A. Contner
Original score: Jack Nitzsche
Editing: Bud S. Smith
Production design: Bruce Weintraub
Costume design: Robert De Mora
Makeup / hair: Bob Grimaldi
Sound: Aaron Levy
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $11,000,000
Box office: $19,814,523
Return: 180% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Cruising (1980)

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William Friedkin

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Community reviews

What people are saying

RottenPop2025-12-20
★ 6/10
Cruising has Al Pacino early in his career taking bold risks, and that alone highlights why he’s considered one of the best actors of all time. He was willing to go places in 1980 that most stars wouldn’t touch, stepping into subject matter that was still largely unexplored on screen. Even when it doesn’t work perfectly, that commitment is admirable. The film’s production was famously delayed by protests, yet it still premiered on February 8, 1980, before hitting theaters nationwide on February 15. The backlash didn’t stop there. Protests followed the film into its release, and criticism came immediately. Even so, Cruising finished as the 36th highest-grossing movie of the year, pulling in $19.8 million at the box office. With a cast like this, it’s easy to see why audiences showed up. Full review on Substack... Stay Tuned for the 150 Movies of 1980 Guide

Production companies