TMS Movie Review: Boston Strangler
(Hulu / 20th Century Studios)
Only four months following Maria Schrader’s docudrama She Said (2022), we’re now receiving another women led investigative journalism biopic with Matt Ruskin’s Boston Strangler. This time Keira Knightley is the English actress playing American and her US co-star is Carrie Coon. While She Said was about taking down a sexual predator, Boston Strangler is obviously regarding the infamous 1960s murderer, naturally drawing comparisons to David Fincher’s classic Zodiac (2007). The new film was produced by 20th Century Studios [nee Fox], but released through Hulu rather than theatrically. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long into the feature to see why Boston Strangler is a home viewing rather than on the big screen. With both earlier movies already in mind, it’s hard to ignore the similarities and not compare.
From 1962 to 1965, various women are killed by a similar strangling in Boston, MA, and only two women at the Boston Record American newspaper are convinced the murders are connected to one killer. Loretta McLaughlin (Knightley) is both fascinated morbidly by the reports and looking for a way out of her boring home & lifestyle column at the paper. Jean Cole (Coon) is already ahead of the curve with her own investigative stint, and both come together for the biggest mystery in town.
(Hulu / 20th Century Studios)
Chris Cooper plays the head editor at the Record, while Morgan Spector and David Dastmalchian also co-star. Boston Strangler really does feel like it was made by a fresh film school graduate whose favorite movie is Zodiac. Despite the familiar premise, Strangler’s dialogue is generic and the aesthetics feel more basic cable than cinematic, which is probably why the studio dropped the ball. Knightley gives a fine performance and probably her best attempt at a fake US accent to date. Though I can’t help but feel the more feminist friendly portions are a bit too reminiscent of her previous role in Philippa Lowthorpe’s Misbehaviour (2020). Coon is always a treat to see on film and delivers per usual here, yet you can’t help but notice the imbalance between her screentime and Knightley’s. While She Said prioritized both reporters as equally important leads, Boston Strangler is all about Loretta, with only one scene of Jean at home. I do like how we see Loretta and Jean juggle being careerwomen and raising families, as the leads in She Said also did.
Besides a sloppy executed conclusion, there isn’t much else to note about Boston Strangler. Everything you need about a real-life true crime mystery is already better made with Zodiac, and She Said delivered on female reporters battling sexism while chasing a story. Unless you’re a big fan of Knightley or to a little lesser extent, Coon, there’s no rush to watch Boston Strangler.