The Driller Killer
Rochelle Films | Release Date: June 15, 1979 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
66
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
EmpireAlan 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
75
The A.V. ClubNoel 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
75
Slant MagazineJake 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
70
The GuardianRowan Righelato
If Ferrara is indeed a Van Gogh, then The Driller Killer is his Potato Eaters – an early work that displays, in rudimentary form, all the groundbreaking innovation of the mature works. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJonathan 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
60
Film ThreatStaff (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
50
TV Guide MagazineStaff (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
50
Time OutStaff (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
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