We’re starting to get to the point in the year where we see a ramp-up in movies, both in quality and quantity. Boston Strangler is a Hulu original movie, starring Kiera Knightly as Loretta McLoughlin and Carrie Coons as Jean Cole, telling the story of the 13 murdered women in Boston in the 1960s and how the alleged killer was caught. With how popular true crime is and how successful (albeit controversial) the Dahmer series was, movies telling tales of infamous serial killers will keep being made.
I did do a little bit of research to understand the real-life story a bit better. The case of the Boston Strangler is pretty interesting. There were always theories about if the man caught, Albert DeSalvo, was the only killer or if there were multiple. This film expands on the idea that DeSalvo was not the only man strangling women, he was just the one who confessed to them all. It makes for an interesting revelation, as DeSalvo is in jail maybe halfway through the movie.
After watching the film, I really think this story would have benefited more as a TV series instead of a movie. It does a great job of setting the atmosphere but the pacing feels rushed because of the run time. While I’m not incredibly familiar with the real-life events, the movie’s focus on the lead characters instead of the Strangler could have worked better in a show like Netflix’s Mindhunters did. There are a ton of little storylines that deserve the time to breathe.
As I said before, the film focuses primarily on Loretta and Jean and how their pursuit of the truth impacts them, their loved ones, and their city. Throughout the movie we see both of them pulled from their normal lives because of new developments in their investigation. We see the mounting stress take its toll on the women. It’s not all bad though. It is a journey watching Loretta start as a lifestyle journalist and emerge as this investigative journalism force, earning the respect of the rest of the characters.
To speak to that point, I saw some other reviews saying that this film was some over-the-top girl boss movie. Maybe I just missed it, but I never noticed that theme. There were some misogynistic comments made that get brushed past but it never hindered any of the women characters from getting what they needed to be done. First off, it’s based on real women and real events in the 1960s so, of course, sexism is going to be super prevalent. But if anything, this story felt like a young reporter who saw a story being untold and pounced on the opportunity.
The film takes a lot of influence from other crime noirs in a lot more than just story structure. The cinematography feels right out of David Fincher’s playbook. The tone is bleak, the colors are monochromatic, and the camera moves with our character’s thought processes. It’s a style that I could see 100 times and I’d ask for 101.
Final Thoughts
If you are a true crime fan or just a fan of crime movies, Boston Strangler is a worthy watch. Sure, It has its flaws. The pacing and some of the story choices needing more explanation. But it’s a perfectly good movie with some strong performances at the top.
