Black Leather Gloves: Cruising as a Global Giallo

In this chapter Cruising is discussed in the context of Italian giallo. The tendency of thrillers by Mario Bava, Dario Argento, and others has in fact a lot in common with Friedkin’s film: the sexualized violence, the queerness of the killer, leather fetishism, and the investigations of an outsider. Cruising can thus be seen as a ‘Global Giallo’, alongside similar efforts such as Dressed to Kill, Maniac or The New York Ripper.