Written by: Matt Ruskin
Starring: Keira Knightley, Carrie Coon, Alessandro Nivola, Chris Cooper
Rating: [3.5/5]
Investigating crimes drives plenty of general interest from the public if they carry sensationalism attached to them. Serial killers, in particular, bring this out with this mix of fear and strange excitement at this prospect. It therefore makes it difficult to investigate for the police, but also journalists, who need to balance the search for the truth in addition to the sensationalism they inadvertently add on to. Within the constraints of this genre, this distinction between journalism and police investigation makes Boston Strangler quite entertaining, even if it serves as a lesser version of much better investigative serial killer films.
Following the deaths of women through strangulation in Boston, a Boston Record American reporter, Loretta McLaughlin looks into what connects all of these incidents. After finding similarities, she believes this to be an instance of a serial killer on the loose. Amidst her struggles in making traction in the case, she must also deal with the blatant sexism of the time, in addition to issues with the Boston Police Department.
Described by many as a much lesser Zodiac and justifiably so, Boston Strangler certainly does not necessarily wow or set a new standard in this genre but still has plenty to bring to the table. For the most part, this tells the story of these women journalists going through a similar circumstance as the gentlemen dealing with the Zodiac killer where we have these stressful moments dramatized to make it more tense for the movie watching experience. However, this film adds a different perspective and one where journalists and the police butt heads throughout this feature, which adds a wrinkle.
Amid all the moments of great journalism, which I certainly have an affinity to enjoying, watching how these women have this general uphill battle only make it more difficult in their encounters with the police. The role Loretta plays in this film and further drawing the connections necessary to display a potential serial killer on the loose not only creates some panic, but also exhibits a failure in the police department. The fact she managed to piece this together when none of the crack investigators of the police department does her no favors and we see these issues go up the chain. It becomes as much a political battle of the pen versus the shield as anything else, and the way Loretta needs to navigate it adds an extra stress outside her putting herself out there as investigating a potential serial killer. One particular scene where they get outed really highlights the danger involved, which only further escalates that she’s a woman trying to accomplish this all where a minimum level of respect does not necessarily exist.
As for the mystery at the center, this film also delves into what it means for the purposes of journalistic success and its relation to the matters of truth. One of the characters involved posits the reality of there being no serial killer and all of these instances and the need to find a connection between them serving as a way for us to cope against the reality that men simply kill women at a disconcerting rate without crafting some larger villain. I find this film’s willingness to delve into this idea and how journalists play into it as well as something very much worth navigating, especially with the rising popularity of true-crime podcasts. Having this just be men killing women does not create something exciting but only further paints a picture of something nasty we all know about. That does not make headlines but perhaps it serves as the truth of the matter and this film weaves this element quite well into the typical tropes one could expect.
Nothing necessarily groundbreaking, but still very entertaining and willing to bring in some new wrinkles, Boston Strangler has Keira Knightley once again doing her American accent that I simply cannot properly process. However, she still manages, as always, to deliver when called upon and she helps push forward a film that hits all the right marks for what one could want about a story of a journalist trying to piece together everything regarding a potential serial killer. It has the added thrills and the joys of what good journalism brings to the world in addition to the dangers of chasing the headlines.
Films with Josh 
