66
Metascore
8 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80EmpireAlan MorrisonEmpireAlan MorrisonAbel Ferrara's debut is in the exploitation ballpark, but it's as much a product of Warhol low-budget artiness as the slasher genre.
- 75The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayDarkly fascinating, as much a document of the late-'70s New York punk and pop-art scenes as it is a grindhouse plugger.
- 75Slant MagazineJake ColeSlant MagazineJake ColeWhat 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.
- 70The GuardianThe GuardianIf 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.
- 70Chicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumChicago ReaderJonathan RosenbaumThe 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.
- 60Film ThreatFilm ThreatA 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.
- 50TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineA 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.
- 50Time OutTime OutTake out the killings, and you're left with an anguished (even somewhat boring) stab at urban ennui, heavily influenced by Repulsion and Taxi Driver.