Cruising
Al Pacino is Cruising for a killer.
1980 | 102m | English
Popularity: 2 (history)
| Director: | William Friedkin |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Gerald Walker, William Friedkin |
| Staring: |
| When New York is caught in the grip of a sadistic serial killer who preys on patrons of the city's underground bars, young rookie Steve Burns infiltrates the S&M subculture to try and lure him out of the shadows. | |
| Release Date: | Feb 15, 1980 |
|---|---|
| Director: | William Friedkin |
| Writer: | Gerald Walker, William Friedkin |
| Genres: | |
| Keywords | homophobia, cruising, exploitation, gay club, sadomasochism, sexual murder, whodunit, stabbing, interrogation, leather, subculture, nypd, murder investigation, police interrogation, pretending to be gay, ambiguity, american giallo |
| Production Companies | United Artists, Lorimar Motion Pictures, Jerry Weintraub Productions, CiP - Europäische Treuhand |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $19,814,523
Budget: $11,000,000 |
| Updates |
Updated: Jan 22, 2026 Entered: Apr 13, 2024 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| 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 |
| Randy Jurgensen | Det. Lefransky |
| Barton Heyman | Dr. Rifkin |
| Arnaldo Santana | Loren Lukas |
| Larry Atlas | Eric Rossman |
| Sonny Grosso | Det. Blasio |
| Ed O'Neill | Det. Schreiber |
| Michael Aronin | Det. Davis |
| James Remar | Gregory |
| William Russ | Paul Gaines |
| Mike Starr | Patrolman Desher |
| Steve Inwood | Martino |
| Keith Prentice | Joey |
| Leland Starnes | Jack Richards |
| Robert Pope | DaVinci's Friend |
| Leo Burmester | Water Sport |
| Bruce Levine | Dancer |
| Charles Dunlap | Three Card Monte |
| Powers Boothe | Hankie Salesman |
| James Sutorius | Jack (voice) |
| Richard Jamieson | Spotter |
| Jimmie Ray Weeks | Seller |
| David Winnie Hayes | Bouncer |
| Carmine Stipo | Bartender |
| James Hayden | Cockpit Cake Man |
| Todd Winters | Tugboat Mate |
| Kirsten Baker | Jogger |
| Henry Judd Baker | Tough Cop |
| Bob Duggan | |
| Burr DeBenning | |
| Allan Miller | Chief of Detectives |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Jack Nitzsche | Original Music Composer |
| Charles L. Campbell | Supervising Sound Editor |
| Mark Johnson | Production Executive |
| James A. Contner | Director of Photography |
| Bud S. Smith | Editor |
| Bruce Weintraub | Production Design |
| Louis L. Edemann | Sound Editor |
| Aaron Levy | Sound Designer, Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Robert De Mora | Costume Design |
| Robert Norin | Makeup Artist |
| David Pettijohn | Sound Editor |
| Robert Drumheller | Set Decoration |
| Hank Muller | Assistant Camera |
| Alan Hopkins | First Assistant Director |
| Richard C. Franklin | Assistant Sound Editor |
| Michael Dennison | Wardrobe Supervisor |
| Bob Grimaldi | Hairstylist |
| Allen Weisinger | Makeup Artist |
| Gerald Walker | Novel |
| Edward Pisoni | Art Direction |
| Bruce Richardson | Sound Editor |
| Robert Glass | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Chris Jenkins | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| Burtt Harris | Production Manager |
| Robert E. Warren | Second Assistant Director |
| Louis DiGiaimo | Casting |
| Dean Jackson | Wardrobe Supervisor |
| Sidney Gecker | Script Supervisor |
| Robert 'Buzz' Knudson | Sound Re-Recording Mixer |
| William Friedkin | Director, Writer |
| Randy Jurgensen | Technical Advisor |
| Sonny Grosso | Technical Advisor |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Burtt Harris | Associate Producer |
| Jerry Weintraub | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 34 | 52 | 22 |
| 2024 | 5 | 48 | 68 | 37 |
| 2024 | 6 | 36 | 76 | 20 |
| 2024 | 7 | 23 | 35 | 12 |
| 2024 | 8 | 24 | 54 | 11 |
| 2024 | 9 | 12 | 19 | 9 |
| 2024 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 11 |
| 2024 | 11 | 16 | 30 | 10 |
| 2024 | 12 | 16 | 35 | 11 |
| 2025 | 1 | 19 | 40 | 10 |
| 2025 | 2 | 11 | 20 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 9 | 21 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
| 2025 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 3 |
| 2025 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 3 |
| 2025 | 12 | 2 | 7 | 1 |
| 2026 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2026 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 991 | 991 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 805 | 837 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4 | 855 | 928 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3 | 143 | 527 |
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 208 | 538 |
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 d ... oesn’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