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What's After the Movie?
Drama thriller

Cruising (1980): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Cruising (1980) movie poster

Cruising is a 1980 drama thriller directed by William Friedkin, starring Randy Jurgensen, Barton Heyman and Joe Spinell. It runs 1 hour 42 minutes and earned $19.8 million worldwide. Critics gave it 50% on Rotten Tomatoes and 43 on Metacritic.

Rotten Tomatoes
50%
worldwide gross
$19.8M
Metascore
43
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Cruising (1980) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 42m (102 min)
Director
William Friedkin
Genres
Drama , Mystery , Thriller , Crime
Original language
English
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is Cruising About?

The premise of Cruising without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

A sadistic killer terrorizes New York City's gay clubs, systematically targeting victims. Detective Steve Burns must go undercover to investigate, immersing himself in the city’s vibrant nightlife. As he delves deeper into the case, the lines between his role as an officer and the world he’s infiltrating become blurred, forcing him to confront his own beliefs and sense of self while pursuing a dangerous predator.

Cruising Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • gay
  • gay sex
  • gay man
  • gay american
  • fisting
  • cruising
  • homosexual
  • jock strap
  • anal fisting
  • leather bar
  • pretending to be gay
  • gay kiss
+38 more
  • gay bar
  • male nipple
  • man undresses
  • stabbed to death
  • homo
  • gay club
  • gay subculture
  • gay culture
  • missionary sex
  • blowjob
  • new york city
  • police officer
  • mustache
  • briefs
  • bare chested male
  • male nudity
  • male rear nudity
  • gay slur
  • bad mood
  • handkerchief
  • undercover cop
  • sadomasochism clothing
  • hairy chest
  • homoeroticism
  • anal sex
  • anal penetration
  • hopeless
  • hopelessness
  • misery
  • male nipples
  • pessimism
  • misanthropy
  • fatalism
  • dark
  • doom
  • suspense
  • north american giallo
  • giallo
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Cast & crew

Cruising Cast

Randy Jurgensen leads the cast, with Barton Heyman and Joe Spinell. Directed by William Friedkin; 10 actors are credited in all.

From the director

More from William Friedkin

More films directed by William Friedkin, best-rated first: The French Connection, The Exorcist, To Live and Die in L.A. and The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial.

Full filmography
Ratings

Cruising Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Cruising 50% on Rotten Tomatoes and 43 on Metacritic.

Plot

Cruising Plot Summary

What happens in Cruising from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

A gruesome discovery sets the tone for a chilling investigation when a severed human arm is found floating in the Hudson River. Detective Lefransky, portrayed by Randy Jurgensen of the New York Police Department, promptly commands forensic scientist Dr. Rifkin, played by Barton Heyman, to connect this dismembered limb to a torso that had been uncovered prior.

Full summary

The whole story of Cruising, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

Cruising Box Office

Cruising grossed $19.8 million worldwide. $19.8 million came from the US and Canada and $15,805 (0%) from the rest of the world.

1980 box office

Worldwide gross

$19.8M

US & Canada
$19.8M
International
$15.8K
US & Canada 100% Rest of the world 0%
Videos

Cruising Trailers & Videos

8 videos: 3 trailers, 1 teaser, 2 clips and 2 featurettes.

All 8 videos
Trailer
  • Trailer Original Trailer
  • Trailer Official Trailer
  • Teaser Original Teaser
  • Clip Can't be too careful
Quiz

How Well Do You Know Cruising?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What was discovered floating in the Hudson River?

Cars

Cars in Cruising

40 cars on screen, including the 1966 Mercedes-Benz 250 SE Convertible W111 and the 1976 Plymouth Gran Fury.

All 40 cars
  • 1966 Mercedes-Benz 250 SE Convertible W111 in Cruising 1966 Mercedes-Benz 250 SE Convertible W111 Important role
  • 1976 Plymouth Gran Fury in Cruising 1976 Plymouth Gran Fury Important role
  • 1978 Pontiac Catalina in Cruising 1978 Pontiac Catalina Important role
  • 1976 Buick Century in Cruising 1976 Buick Century Minor role
Details

Cruising Also Known As

23 alternative titles, including “Portyán” and “Zwerftocht in het Duister”.

Also known as
  • Portyán
  • Zwerftocht in het Duister
  • Parceiros da Noite
  • Encrucijadas
  • Cruising: Submundo homosexual
  • A la caza
  • Cruising : La Chasse
  • Разыскивающий
  • クルージング
  • שוטטות
  • Na lovu
  • Фатален партньор
+11 more
  • Розшукуючий
  • Na love
  • 虎口巡航
  • Zadanie specjalne
  • Lockbetet
  • Το Ψωνιστήρι
  • 광란자
  • Cacería
  • گشت‌زنی, კრუიზი
  • A la cacera
  • Devriye

Seen Cruising?

FAQ

Cruising FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of Cruising, each answered in a sentence.

How long is Cruising?

Cruising runs 1 hour 42 minutes (102 minutes).

When was Cruising released?

Cruising was released on February 15, 1980.

Who directed Cruising?

Cruising was directed by William Friedkin.

More films by William Friedkin

Who is in the cast of Cruising?

Cruising stars Randy Jurgensen, Barton Heyman and Joe Spinell, among 10 credited actors.

How much did Cruising make at the box office?

Cruising grossed $19.8 million worldwide ($19.8 million domestic, $15,805 international).

How is Cruising rated?

Cruising has 50% on Rotten Tomatoes, 43 on Metacritic and 66% on TMDB.

Does Cruising have a post-credit scene?

No. Cruising has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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