Al Pacino goes underground to a find a serial killer targeting men of the leather gay subculture in Cruising, an interesting – if flawed – time capsule straight from the pre-HIV era.

Cruising was a controversial movie in its time and got targeted by the gay community for giving a negative and one-sided portrayal of the minority. The approach is admittedly sensational, even if the leather BDSM lairs of the time presented in the movie weren’t too far fetched from the reality. The movie doesn’t shy away from graphic depictions of sex and violence – almost borderlining a slasher at times – which was enough for the movie to get banned in some countries, Finland included.

Pacino is either acting well or he’s genuinely uncomfortable in his role – most likely a bit of both given the bad press the movie received during its production. The movie’s ambiguous ending with its totally unnecessary plot twist feels like a last minute afterthought, and one I can hardly see as satisfying to any viewer.

80s-o-meter: 64%

Total: 62%