The Driller Killer
A struggling Manhattan painter descends into murderous psychosis when artistic frustration and hallucinated violence begin to merge.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- gritty
- paranoid
- abrasive
- late night horror marathon
- underground cinema night
What critics said
Critics generally regard the film as a gritty, provocative independent psychodrama with blackly comic period atmosphere, though its limited violence and abrasive pacing divide viewers.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Reno’s pressure to complete his masterpiece is directly entwined with his psychotic killings and deteriorating mental state.
Union Square, street violence, vagrants, cramped apartments, and a disruptive punk band create a distinctly rough late-1970s Manhattan environment.
The artist’s grotesque creative rationale and the film’s exploitation framing produce humor alongside its psychodrama and murders.
Reno’s hallucinations and failure to recognize that his killings are real make his subjective perception central to the narrative.
Films like The Driller Killer, and why
Taxi Driver
shared psychodrama, urban alienation, black humor, and independent horror sensibility
Maniac
shared artist-centered psychological collapse, gritty urban setting, and exploitation-era unease
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
shared black comedy, serial-killer subject matter, and transgressive independent filmmaking
Ms. 45
shared New York underground atmosphere, countercultural characters, and abrasive dark humor
Movie Details
- Director
- Abel Ferrara
- Release Date
- 1979-06-15
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 5.2 / 10 (202)
Cast
- Abel Ferrara
- Carolyn Smith
- Pamela Bergman
- Harry Schultz
- Alan Wynroth
- Maria Helhoski
- James O'Hara
- Richard Howorth
- Louis Mascolo
- Tommy Santora
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Criterion Channel, MUBI, Night Flight Plus, MUBI Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, Cineverse, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Bloodstream, Chilling, ARROW
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Driller Killer about?
- A struggling Manhattan painter descends into murderous psychosis when artistic frustration and hallucinated violence begin to merge.
- What is The Driller Killer like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Driller Killer as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Driller Killer violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Driller Killer as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Driller Killer?
- Critics generally regard the film as a gritty, provocative independent psychodrama with blackly comic period atmosphere, though its limited violence and abrasive pacing divide viewers.
- Which films are like The Driller Killer?
- Films with a similar feel include Taxi Driver, Maniac, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and Ms. 45.
- How long is The Driller Killer?
- The Driller Killer runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Driller Killer?
- In United States, The Driller Killer streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Criterion Channel, MUBI, Night Flight Plus, MUBI Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, Cineverse, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Bloodstream, Chilling, ARROW.
