Several homosexual men are brutally murdered and dismembered in the S/M and leather areas of New York by a serial murderer. As a decoy for the killer, Steve Burns, a young police officer, is sent out into the streets. The rules and signals of this tiny society must be learned while he works almost entirely alone.
A homicidal maniac is killing gay men and women at New York City’s gay bars. Detection Steve Burns (Al Pacino) is told to wear leather apparel, hang around at the city’s S&M clubs, and keep a lookout for the murderer. Steve, on the other hand, finds that he has more in common with the club scene than he anticipated as he gets more entrenched in it. In the meantime, Steve treats Nancy (Karen Allen) coldly, the homophobia of the police department is revealed, and the murderer is still at large.
Release date: 15 February 1980 (USA)
Director: William Friedkin
Music by: Jack Nitzsche
Adapted from: Cruising
Box office: $19.8 million
Produced by: Jerry Weintraub
Cast & Crew
Al Pacino
Steve Burns
Karen Allen
Nancy Gates
Paul Sorvino
Capt. Edelson
Richard Cox
Stuart Richards
Don Scardino
Ted Bailey
Randy Jurgensen
Det. Lefransky
Jay Acovone
Skip Lee
Larry Atlas
Eric Rossman
Arnaldo Santana
Loren Lukas
Steve Inwood
Martino
Joe Spinell
Patrolman DiSimone
Mike Starr
Patrolman Desher
Barton Heyman
Dr. Rifkin
Gene Davis
DaVinci
James Remar
Gregory
Ed O’Neill
Det. Schreiber
Powers Boothe
Hankie Salesman
Kirsten Baker
Jogger
Henry Judd Baker
Tough Cop
Allan Miller
Chief of Detectives
Bob Duggan
