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Boston Strangler

Boston Strangler

2023

Matt Ruskin

Keira Knightley, Carrie Coon, Alessandro Nivola, Chris Cooper ...

5.9

3,135

Mystery. Drama Loretta McLaughlin was the reporter who first connected the murders and broke the story of the Boston Strangler. She and Jean Cole challenged the sexism of the early 1960s to report on the city's most notorious serial killer.

	Media	Author	Review
		Sheri Linden The Hollywood Reporter	"Keira Knightley and Carrie Coon are pitch-perfect newshounds (...) Smart and powerfully understated (...) Ruskin has made a smart and unsentimental tribute to McLaughlin and Cole"
		Lena Wilson The Wrap	"'Boston Strangler' may muddle its facts, but its message never wavers. In a genre dominated by perfunctory intrigue, how exhilarating to see a film with morals this clear, consistent, and touching."
		Courtney Howard Variety	"This thriller falls short of its influences yet carves out a small space of its own"
		Christian Gallichio The Film Stage	"It’s a compelling, ultimately streamlined retelling of a prolonged investigation and a nice reminder of when newspapers could actually make cultural impact."
		Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times	"Knightley travels back in time once again in the sobering and gripping crime drama 'Boston Strangler.' In the process, she delivers one of my favorite Keira Knightley performances of all time. (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)"
		Brent Simon AV Club	"Despite the talents of Knightley, Carrie Coon, and Chris Cooper, Hulu's true crime film adaptation never cracks the case"
		Samantha Bergeson IndieWire	"It chokes on sexism commentary (...) However, Matt Ruskin's well-researched Hulu film is still a breath of fresh air for the true crime genre's portrayal of violence onscreen."
		Peter Bradshaw The Guardian	"A director like Jonathan Demme or David Fincher would have gone for the jugular on this kind of material, but writer-director Matt Ruskin seems a little squeamish (...) Rating: ★★ (out of 5)"
		Brandon Zachary CBR	"'The Boston Strangler' is a standard but solid approach to the true-crime drama, anchored by a great Keira Knightley performance and strong direction."
		Ross McIndoe Slant	"A True Crime Thriller That Only Scratches the Surface (...) A very functional tale that doesn’t leave viewers with much to chew on (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"
		Ferdosa Abdi Screen Rant	"It's a steady, assured drama that neither cheapens nor lessens the importance of the case."
		Kristy Puchko Mashable	"Is there a place for female empowerment in true crime? Possibly, but 'Boston Strangler', a drama inspired by a 1960s string of murders committed against women, is not where you'll find it."
		Karina Adelgaard Heaven of Horror	"Inspired by a true story and being very direct and honest about it. A must-watch. (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Alex Maidy JoBlo	"A decent story that could have been so much better."
		Marshall Shaffer The Playlist	"It’s just enough of a twist on an otherwise imitative, iterative story to hold interest"
		Joe Lipsett Bloody Disgusting	"A compelling, if occasionally uneven depiction of the struggles of ambitious professional women in the 60s (...) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Pete Hammond Deadline	"This is one of those movies that finds a fresh way into an age-old story you might think you already knew but clearly didn’t. Bravo"
		Richard Lawson Vanity Fair	"Matt Ruskin’s film is a compelling true-crime throwback"
		Nick Allen rogerebert.com	"Ruskin succeeds in paying tribute to Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole's hard work, but it's less successful in filling in the larger story (...) Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)"
		Noel Murray Los Angeles Times	"[McLaughlin] and Cole's victory over chauvinism is admirable. But the more powerful parts of this picture have to do with their realization that people may be too eager to hear tidy stories with clear villains and conclusions"
		Emma Vine Ready Steady Cut	"Though 'Boston Strangler' pays homage to the reporters who broke the story of the infamous killer, the film lacks conviction and fails to draw you in completely (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)"
		Johnny Loftus Decider	"Keira Knightley leads a strong cast in 'Boston Strangler', who all lend real watchability to this true crime tale even as its pendulous air and brooding soundtrack begin to get a little suffocating"

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