The New York Ripper
dir. Lucio Fulci · 1982
Feature
Psychological Horror
Mood
Dark / Tense
Look
gritty, neon-lit urban landscapes with stark contrasts
Structure
fragmented and disjointed, reflecting the chaos of the protagonist's mind
Plot
A burned-out New York police detective teams up with a college psychoanalyst to track down a vicious serial killer randomly stalking and killing various young women around the city.
Why watch
A burned-out detective navigates the grimy streets of New York City, haunted by a series of brutal murders targeting young women. As he partners with a college psychoanalyst, the film plunges into a nightmarish exploration of the human psyche, where the line between hunter and hunted blurs. Watching it is like being trapped in a fever dream, where every corner reveals a new horror and the city itself becomes a character steeped in decay and dread.
Cultural context
1980s New York City crime waverise of slasher filmsItalian horror influence