The Driller Killer

Name: The Driller Killer
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror
Released: June 15, 1979
Duration: 96 min
Rating: 66
Cast: Abel Ferrara, Alan Wynroth, Baybi Day, Carolyn Marz, Harry Schultz

1979

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Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews

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Driller Killer

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Movie Details & Credits

Rochelle Films | Release Date: June 15, 1979 | Not Rated

Starring: Abel Ferrara, Alan Wynroth, Baybi Day, Carolyn Marz, Harry Schultz, James O'Hara, Louis Mascolo, Maria Helhoski, Richard Howorth, Tommy Santora

Summary: An artist slowly goes insane while struggling to pay his bills, work on his paintings, and care for his two female roommates, which leads him taking to the streets of New York after dark and randomly killing derelicts with a power drill.

Director: Abel Ferrara

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Horror

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 96 min

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Critic Reviews

Empire Alan Morrison

Abel Ferrara's debut is in the exploitation ballpark, but it's as much a product of Warhol low-budget artiness as the slasher genre. Read full review

Jake Cole

What makes the film so remarkable is the extent to which Ferrara, even at the outset of his career, exploits sex and violence for their popular appeal even as he reflects on the effect of such subjects on both his own art and the culture at large. Read full review

Noel Murray

Darkly fascinating, as much a document of the late-'70s New York punk and pop-art scenes as it is a grindhouse plugger. Read full review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

The script by Nicholas St. John (who would become a Ferrara regular) not only anticipates American Psycho but offers a fascinating look at New York's bohemian art scene circa 1979. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

A loopy plot trail leads us to Ferrara’s attempt at creating a cult psycho. His lack of commitment to his creation, haphazard and impulsive as Reno’s first plunge into a victim, suggests that the filmmaker was distracted by his own future aspirations. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Take out the killings, and you're left with an anguished (even somewhat boring) stab at urban ennui, heavily influenced by Repulsion and Taxi Driver. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

A bleak, often repugnant rumination on the harsh realities of urban life, Driller Killer will offend tender sensibilities. But Ferrara is already a distinctive and conscientious talent behind the camera, unmistakably concerned with more than gore-filled exploitation. Read full review

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User Reviews

alejandro970

Mar 20, 2021

Underground horror cinema, like the characteristic one from the 70's. The effort and intentions are remarkable, particularly for the somber colors. You don't necessarily need a strong stomach but a lot of patience as there are very irritating characters.

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