Reviewed by Chris Wright, MoreHorror.com
“Driller Killer” (1979)
Directed By: Abel Ferrara
Written By: Nicholas St. John
Starring: Abel Ferrara (Reno Miller), Carolyn Marz (Carol), Baybi Day (Pamela), Harry Shultz (Dalton), Alan Mynroth (Landlord), Maria Helhoski (The Nun), Richard Howorth (Stephen), Louis Mascolo (Knife Victim ), Tommy Santora (Attacker)
I had heard so many people praise this movie that I was truly looking forward to a great late 70s movie. Unfortunately, I was let down by how this Driller Killer drags and does not hold up very well at all today. I had my expectations high but apparently that’s not what I should have done going into this movie. This film was panned as a video nasty in the UK and banned upon its inception. The movie was first released in the United States by Charles Band’s Wizard Video label in 1982. It is now in the public domain.
“Driller Killer” is about an artist who slowly goes insane as he struggles with daily life. After a while, he takes to killing random people in New York City with a power drill leaving a bloody trail. The plot is very reminiscent of several horror films that came out in the mid to late 70s that involved a slow to moderate level of psychosis for the soon to be killer. The plot dragged heavily for the first thirty minutes where literally nothing happens but the daily occurrences in to Reno’s (Abel Ferrara) life. Sex, drugs, punk rock, and religious themes are filtered throughout the movie and Reno’s life.
The gore was the highlight of this movie. The infamous drill in the ally scene was very well done and realistic. The gritty nature of the film captured the core masterfully. The characters were run of the mill and forgettable. The killer in this film (Reno) isn’t even that impressive. I felt this movie could have been condensed for a more polished effect since it felt overly long.
While I get that some people appreciate Driller Killer as a character piece, I was still let down by its mundane nature. I have seen various other horror movies around this same time that involved a character going insane that were done much better than this one. If the surreal atmosphere and gritty nature had been better, I would like it more. I give it 2 out of 5 stars. It has 4.7 out of 10 on IMDB.