Boston Strangler Review: A True-Crime Exploration That Fails to Stand Out
Among the famous serial killers in American history, the Boston Strangler is lesser known. Hulu’s latest film Boston Strangler sheds light on the case by telling the story of Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) who became the first journalist to connect the string of Boston Strangler murders.
Written and directed by Matt Ruskin, the film also stars Carrie Coon as Jean Cole, Loretta’s colleague at the Record American newspaper.
Although it’s based on a true story, Boston Strangler tries to hook the audience on the theory that the real crime was never solved despite one suspect confessing to all 13 murders. It dangles the tantalizing possibility that the Boston Strangler is in fact stranglers, whose separate murders are assigned to one fall man by an incompetent police force.
The movie is a mix of true-crime thriller and inspiring journalism tale with an aesthetic to match. From the cool color palette to the focus on nighttime scenes and dimly lit interiors, the film broadcasts its seriousness.
You feel like you’re with Loretta burning the midnight oil trying to solve the case.
The premise alone may be enough to stoke the interest of some true crime obsessives, especially given the trend of reexamining old cases. However, the film fails to find the emotional core of the story.
It seems undecided if it’s more interested in its protagonist or the sensational crime story, splitting the movie into two competing narratives. As a result, Loretta is not as compelling as she could be if given more focus.
Loretta should be the heart of the film, but Boston Strangler fails to give her an adequate personal narrative so the character feels generic despite being based on a real person.
The film initially plays to the angle of Loretta overcoming societal expectations to achieve her career dreams and weaves an inspiring tale of dogged journalism and defying sexism. She is the much-needed voice of the female victims failed by the bumbling Boston Police Department.
Boston Strangler bites off more than it can chew, though. It wants her to also play the obsessive reporter who doesn’t know when to quit even when it’s to the detriment of themselves and their family. It’s hard not to draw comparisons to David Fincher’s Zodiac.
The further she delves into the case, the more she loses herself. While that character turn doesn’t necessarily have to ring false, the attempt to fit both storylines into a movie that runs under two hours long ends up rushed. As a result, the story it’s trying to tell gets muddled.
Loretta’s husband (Morgan Spector) goes from supportive to jaded seemingly overnight. The tension in their marriage is not adequately explored until it’s too late. Her initial rivalry and eventual friendship with Jean also lacks the female empowerment advertised, minus a key scene where Jean tells Loretta to never apologize about things that matter to her.
In investigative journalism stories, sacrifice is usually a key element. Given the nature of this case, the usual accompanying moments of triumph are unfortunately spare in the story leaving a more dour feeling about Loretta’s journey.
Knightley, a master at period dramas who slips as easily into 1960s Boston as she does 1800s England, is well cast. Sadly, the dramatic material for Loretta isn’t substantive enough to transform this role into a star turn.
What’s leftover is a bleak crime movie that doesn’t lean hard enough into the thrills to contend in that genre either. David Dastmalchian, who plays key suspect Albert DeSalvo, has an exemplary record of playing disturbing villains but is barely given any time to cook.
Much of what we learn of DeSalvo’s chilling exploits is from others, a missed opportunity to explore his psyche. If the film wants us to question whether DeSalvo committed all 13 murders, it would be more interesting to contrast his villainy against the contradictory facts exonerating him.
Boston Strangler may appeal to those interested in the historical case or the true-crime genre, but it never justifies the need to adapt this real story into a fictionalized film.
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Boston Strangler is streaming now on Hulu.
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Breeze Riley
Breeze Riley is a pop culture enthusiast who decided to turn her love of watching too much TV into a hobby writing about it. Although she's a convention-going sci-fi and fantasy nerd, she's just as likely to be watching an off-beat comedy or period drama. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic.