In the early 1960's Boston was hit with a string of murders in which women were strangled in their own homes. Initially investigated by the Boston Police Dept. as individual killings, it was Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) - a reporter for the Boston Record American newspaper - who originally connected them. She and fellow reporter Jean Cole (Carrie Coon) struggled against obstructions put up by law enforcement and their own colleagues, as well as the sexism and misogyny of the time to report on the case of the Boston Strangler.
Another 20th Century Fox property has arrived on Disney+ with relatively little fanfare. With this gritty noir writer/director Matt Ruskin attempts to make sense of the mystery surrounding this illusive killer and his reign of terror over the city of Boston. The movie - which sits somewhere between Zodiac and Spotlight - follows the case from the point of view of both McLaughlin and Cole as they carry out their investigation into the killings, assisting police with leads along the way. More than simply highlighting the struggles that women faced (and still face) in life, in the workplace, and more specifically in the newsroom, Boston Strangler confronts it head on in a way that is authentically brash and unflinching. All the while, thanks to some crisp cinematography, the killer haunts a cold but authentic looking 1960's Boston.
Knightley and Coon lead an impressive cast with strong performances that reflect what McLaughlin and Cole went through - on top of all the hard work and long hours they put in - in order to do their jobs and report on this horrifying story. This includes the detrimental effect their work had on their personal lives and those of their families. A plotline that may play out in the the usual series of arguments between husband and wife, but thanks to the excellent performances by Knightley and Morgan Spector as James McLaughlin, one that comes with real emotional weight. It's actually sad to see what happened to this very real family.
Boston Strangler may be guilty of all the usual tweaks that movies based on true stories are known for (condensing timelines, amalgamating characters, exaggerating the involvement of the main character), but it still manages to be rather accurate in its depiction of events. Ruskin makes good use of the sub-two hour runtime to tell the story in a way that is both clear and engaging - no mean feat given that the case is the subject of great dispute, and technically still open (12 of the 13 murders attributed to the Boston Strangler remain officially unsolved). The writer/director uses the mystery surrounding these murders, presenting facts, theories and events in such a way that encourages audiences to draw their own conclusions. He also touches on the tightrope the press must walk between helping and hindering an investigation. The fact that McLaughlin and Cole's reporting may have, at times, assisted potential suspects is never shied away from. And yet, the importance of good reporting - as well as all that these two dogged reporters did for generations of women - is never lost.
A horrifying period in Boston's history, presented in the form of a gritty noir, and told from the perspective of the journalists reporting it. Not only is it engaging, it encourages audiences to consider all the facts and theories relating to the case.
8/10
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