Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders

The release of William Friedkin's controversial 1980 thriller Cruising sparked outrage within the LGBTQ+ community, with activists fearing the film's depiction of gay men would fuel homophobia and violence. Decades later, Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders revisits the film's complex legacy while uncovering the shocking true crime that inspired it—the brutal 1977 murder of journalist Addison Verrill. Through archival footage and interviews with activists, historians, filmmakers, and members of New York's leather community, director Jeffrey Schwarz explores the intersection of queer history, protest, censorship, and cinema, offering a nuanced portrait of a pivotal and often misunderstood moment in LGBTQ+ cultural history.