The Driller Killer
Directed by Abel Ferrara
A struggling artist goes insane, killing people with a drill in Abel Ferrara's (MS. 45, BODY SNATCHERS) gripping grindhouse splatterfest. Ferrara himself stars as Reno, a down-on-his-luck painter who's worn down by the noisy, crime-addled city and his own inability to make a living. When the pressure hits its peak, Reno snaps, and soon nobody in his orbit is safe. After a successful US release in 1979, DRILLER KILLER wound up igniting the British "video nasty" controversies during the 1980s, resulting in 15-year ban over it's head-drilling horror. Contains strong language, sexual scenes, violence and gore.
A struggling artist goes insane and starts killing people with a drill.
Cast: Abel Ferrara, Carolyn Marz, Baybi Day
Member Reviews
A lot of reviewers here are calling this an artifact from the 70's, but I'm not sure what more you can ask for from a zero budget independent horror film from any era. It's poetic, personal, gnarly, horny. I'm always down for a half-ironic, half deadly serious story about someone who is struggling as an artist and watching an idiot band get all the praise and ass. The point of view is helped by the main character (played by Ferrara) possessing a healthy nihilism about it all - the band sucks but he knows he does too. Absolutely zero hand holding or proselytizing. The film feels like it aims to entertain but also alienate you if you get too close, and its anti-morality almost comes all the back around to radical acceptance. Idk, all my friends are pricks who are desperate to be understood and this movie feels like its a part of the family.
Watchable.
i first saw this movie age 7 in 1980. it was awful then, and it’s awful now. also, my parents were TERRIBLE parents.
Being one of the infamous 'video nasties' of the 80s & what with it being in the public domain its nice for Shudder to have included this - That being said, like many films of its kind its not a great piece of filmmaking. I reckon the director was that awful punk bands manager or something - must be a reason they had so much screen time.
This film of 1979 should have stayed back in the 70s. It is one of the most horrible films I have come across. Don’t waste your time.