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Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders

Play trailer Poster for Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders 2026 1h 24m Documentary LGBTQ+ History Play Trailer Watchlist
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"Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders" peels back the layers of controversy surrounding the making of the 1980 thriller, "Cruising." Directed by William Friedkin, the film triggered fierce protests from the LGBTQ+ community for its portrayal of a serial killer targeting gay men in New York's leather bars. Friedkin drew inspiration from the brutal murder of Variety reporter Addison Verrill, blurring the boundaries between cinematic fiction and real-life tragedy.

Critics Reviews

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Ryan Lattanzio IndieWire 6d
A-
Best of all, as critical as “Mineshaft” is about Friedkin’s grotesque vision of gay life in the too-short gap between Stonewall and AIDS, this rousing and thoughtful documentary encourages you to take a look back at “Cruising” with fresh eyes. Go to Full Review David Rooney The Hollywood Reporter Jun 9
For anyone interested in queer history, both social and pop-cultural, there’s a lot here to chew on. Go to Full Review Guy Lodge Variety Jun 9
“Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders” already has a lot to do. But Jeffrey Schwarz’s engaging, impassioned documentary takes on plenty else besides. Go to Full Review Frank J. Avella The Contending 1d
B+
(Jeffrey) Schwarz’s doc is a welcome entry into the ever-increasing Cruising canon... Go to Full Review Mike McGranaghan Aisle Seat 6d
Eighty-four minutes fly right by because of how engrossing and emotional the subject matter is. Go to Full Review Christian Gallichio The Playlist 6d
B-
A documentary about the Mineshaft and the 1980 film “Cruising”? Count me in. But oddly, while the title does do much of the legwork in setting up the film, its simple three words also hint at the film’s structure problem. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Jeffrey Schwarz

Director

Jeffrey Schwarz

Producer

John Boccardo

Producer

Ron Nyswaner

Executive Producer

Robbie Rogers

Executive Producer

Alan Eichler

Executive Producer
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Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders

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Movie Info

Synopsis "Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders" peels back the layers of controversy surrounding the making of the 1980 thriller, "Cruising." Directed by William Friedkin, the film triggered fierce protests from the LGBTQ+ community for its portrayal of a serial killer targeting gay men in New York's leather bars. Friedkin drew inspiration from the brutal murder of Variety reporter Addison Verrill, blurring the boundaries between cinematic fiction and real-life tragedy.
Director
Jeffrey Schwarz
Producer
Jeffrey Schwarz, John Boccardo
Production Co
Automat Pictures
Genre
Documentary, LGBTQ+, History
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 24m