In 1979, directorAbel Ferrarafound a way to tap into both subgenres withThe Driller Killer.
This descent into madness leads him to commit violent acts against derelicts using a power drill.
On top of that, his neighborhood is filled with the unhoused around every corner.
Image by Zanda Rice
He toldDen of Geekthat the title came fromThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
He said, “It was a world we were trying to be a part of, you know?
Compared to other slashers in the decade to come, Ferrara’s movie is tame.
The Driller Killer is a black comedy horror film directed by Abel Ferrara. It centers on Reno Miller, a struggling artist in New York City who gradually loses his sanity due to financial pressures and the demands of his art. This descent into madness leads him to commit violent acts against derelicts using a power drill.
Thanks to historians, long-lost footage saw the light of day.
There Is a Deeper Meaning to ‘The Driller Killer’
Censors misunderstood the themes ofThe Driller Killer.
Speaking withThe Independent, Ferrara said, “It was also more of a parable, I guess.
We were already angry back then, and we had no other way of expressing it.”
At one point, he tells a homeless man that he won’t end up like him.
To then kill him is to literally drive home that point.
If he kills what he could end up becoming, then he is no longer a “failure.”
He has the power to be the opposite of these men.
Yo, you need a doctor!
That dude needs help! "
The Driller Killeris a difficult film to watch, with a protagonist you won’t like.
It’s not the gore that will upset you, because that would be too cheap and simple.
Any director can throw blood and guts at the screen to illicit a reaction.
The Driller Killeris currently available to stream on Tubi in the U.S.
WATCH ON TUBI
