L'Étrangleur de Boston

My Review- Boston Strangler

My Rating 7/10 Streaming on Disney

This very interesting story is not a remake of any of the previous movie or television adaptations about the horrific murders of at least 11 women from the Boston area between 1962 and 1964.

It's the untold story of the unsung heroines two reporters Loretta McLaughlin played by Keira Knightly and Jean Cole played by Carrie Coon.

These two women were the first to link the murders of at least 11 women in the Boston area between in the early 1960's to one man known as The Boston Strangler by examining the evidence and the similarities in each case .

They worked as women reporters for The Record American Newspaper later The Boston Globe who were assigned to cover "women's stories " fashion and social events while their male colleagues got the real tough news stories of the day.

Loretta is first to request that she be assigned to cover the murders after she discovers the link but is road blocked by her boss until she is taken seriously.

Later her more experienced colleague Jean is assigned to cover the story with her which at first Loretta resents .

This movie is not a crime thriller that part of the story has been told before .

Of course it covers the background of these horrific crimes but the emphasis is on the two women reporters and the obstacles that the Police and their own bosses put up to hinder their investigation.

The Police investigation was shoddy to say the least and the magazine bosses didn't think the women were capable enough to report such a great story.

Keira Knightley is impressive as the determined Loretta who is trying to balance her home life with her career and Carrie Coon is equally impressive as the more worldly Jean who Loretta at first resents as this is her story.

Boston Strangler is not a great film but it's an interesting well acted and well produced.

I found the mood a bit somber and thought it needed a bit of a jolt here and there .

I found the sepia dark tones a little depressing but as the end credits rolled around the importance of this story became obvious these women were pioneering as far as journalism was concerned.

Matt Ruskin wrote the screenplay and directed the film .

I just wondered if a different director may have elevated Boston Strangler to greater heights.

It lacked the impact for me of the recent Maria Schrader movie She Said also about 2 courageous women journalists however it's well worth a look at.

A number of reviewers, especially those who claim to be 'true crime buffs' dismiss this fim as boring, average, slow and not really true crime. They are wrong on every count. I can only presume they were expecting some graphic, violent retelling of the Boston Strangler crimes and they completely missed the point. This is an intelligent and gripping account of first rate journalism, police incompetence and the likely truth behind these shocking murders. The sexism shown to Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole was very real and not something drummed up to satisfy a 2020s audience as some claim and despite that, these two women did more to unearth the truth about the Boston Strangler killings than the police. The performances by Kiera Knightley and Carrie Coon are subtle and believable, indeed the whole cast is good. It shows that one doesn't need relentless action and over the top histrionics to tell a good story. This is the realistic side of true crime: hard work, dogged determination and the courage to face the horrific nature of these crimes and keep searching for the truth. I suspect that what some of these, presumably male viewers, did not like is that it is the two women and their remarkable work that is the focus of this film and not simply the Strangler. Personally I think it is good to see another side of the story and one that is not so well known.

This isn't so much a story about the notorious murderer, but more one of two investigative journalists who meticulously followed the case and tried to establish the truth behind these gruesome crimes. Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) was largely responsible for taking the initiative to her editor (Chris Cooper) but that published, convincing, analysis drew considerable disdain from the police and she was swiftly booted off the story. Undeterred, she persisted and ultimately with the more experienced Jean Cole (Carrie Coon) is reinstated and allowed to develop her theory that - well, maybe there isn't just one strangler! To be fair, I am not particularly well versed in the history of this, but I did find this a very dry and procedural drama that reminded me a little of "Official Secrets" (2019). Again, this saw Knightley in a smilier sort of role, and again delivering it very much as if it were straight off the page. There is little evidence of passion here. The tenacity and perseverance of these two women - at times putting the safety of themselves and their families on the line - isn't really captured here. It's wordy, at times a little too earnest and though it looks good it's just all a bit sterile. This is a fascinating story that looks at serial killings, copycat killings and strong investigative journalism all in the face of a rather linear (and sexist) approach taken by the authorities. It ought to be scintillating and intriguing - but this is certainly not.

I love Keira Knightley as an actress in many other movies, but somehow she didnt shine in this role as a female journalist unravelling a serial murder mystery.

The bad: this movie is simply going through the motions. No surprises. No spark or punch. No real thrill. No originality. Everything about this serial killer movie has been done better by others before...

More bad: it has got an annoyingly heavy soundtrack, that must constantly remember me as a viewer, that now THIS scene and now THAT scene is suppose to be ominous and spooky. When it's no such thing. Bummer!

Not any good then? Honestly, I have been critisizing this movie but it's certainly not a terrible movie, merely a rather BLAND and BORING one.

Similar to many other reviewers on Imdb, I also had many flashbacks of the brilliant movie called "The Zodiac" (2007) with Robert Downey Jr. And Jake Gylenhaal. Go watch THAT movie instead of this failed COPYCAT flick! "The Zodiac" (2007) is HIGHLY recommended by me and by many other true fans of this genre!

It's 1962 Boston. Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) is a junior reporter stuck in the Lifestyle section with all the other girls. Jean Cole (Carrie Coon) is the only woman doing any hard investigative news. Their boss Jack Maclaine (Chris Cooper) keeps rejecting Loretta's story ideas until she notices some similarities between three murders. She is the first to write about the Boston Strangler while struggling to maintain her home life. Detective Conley (Alessandro Nivola) investigates the frustrating case.

It's a standard investigative reporter movie. It doesn't go overboard with the drama and flash. The mute color tones infiltrate the story. Keira Knightley is doing the work and there are some great actors here. There are no car chases. It's a lot of reading through boxes of files. This is not trying to make this into an action thriller. I would like these smart people to consider the final conclusion earlier. In that sense, the title should be changed.