‘Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders’ Review: Compelling Documentary Probes the Legacy of William Friedkin’s Infamous Queer Thriller

Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders is a compelling documentary exploring the complex legacy of William Friedkin’s 1980 erotic thriller Cruising. While the queer community once denounced the film, it is now reclaimed as a portrait of a vanished social scene. Using a brutal murder as a starting point, the film depicts pre-Aids New York, with the production of Cruising serving as a backdrop, featuring insights from author Dan Savage regarding eroticized fears and the zeitgeist.