CRUISING

Cruising is a 1980 gay movie about a policeman who goes undercover to investigate the mysterious killing of gay men in New York. Officer Steve Burns resembles most of the victims showing up in the Hudson river with body parts missing. He is sent deep undercover into the gay world to catch the serial killer. He rents an apartment and befriends a gay playwright who is a neighbor. He compels police to interrogate a waiter but they end up coercing and beating him to get a confession. Burns believes that brutality is motivated by homophobia and almost quits the assignment. He goes after a gay music graduate who has a mental disorder but then Ted is killed when that suspect is in custody. Eventually this film suggests Steve might be the killer.