Those who like true crime movies now have one more option to watch. It’s about the long The Boston Strangler, which premieres exclusively on Star+ this Friday, March 17. Directed by Matt Ruskin (Booster), the feature knew how to conduct the plot well and was right in the way of telling the true story of one of the biggest serial killers in the United States.
Set in the 1960s, the film begins by showing a mysterious man killing a woman. He strangles her and then uses her pantyhose to tie a bow around her neck, as if he were gift-wrapping her.
After this scene, we are taken to a few years earlier, when we meet Loretta McLaughlin, a journalist who tries at all costs to get more relevant stories and leave the home and welfare section – the only section of the newspaper dedicated to women.
Lived brilliantly by actress Keira Knightley (Simply love), the character is determined to do whatever it takes to circumvent the machismo of the time. And here is one of the great successes of the film: it does not erase the misogyny of the decade, but manages to give the protagonists the attention they deserve.
Loretta is smart and soon begins to realize that there is some connection between the murders of women that are happening in Boston. She asks her boss for permission to investigate them, but the reluctant man only authorizes her if she works with Jean Cole (Carrie Coon), a more experienced journalist on the subject.
Thus, one of the best partnerships on the scene appears. The two actresses show that they have chemistry and work well together. Together, they gradually pull the strings to unravel the mysteries and become the first reporters to publish the story. Which, of course, makes money for the newspaper, but little praise from the bosses… after all, they are women.
growing mystery
Another interesting point of The Boston Strangler is that the mystery and suspense increase as the journalists’ investigations progress. Just when we thought we had discovered the main suspect, the plot takes a different turn and shows us that there are even more things to be unraveled.
Without spoiling the surprise for the public, what can be said is that, in the end, we discover that it is not just a single Boston strangler, Albert DeSalvo, to whom the crimes were attributed, but several.
machismo also kills
In addition to machismo being portrayed within journalistic newsrooms, it was also shown in police stations. That’s because Boston police officers didn’t have much interest in investigating the cases, since the victims were women.
Furthermore, Jean and Loretta’s husbands—especially Loretta’s—were not very keen on their leaving their children at home to go to work, even though they did the same thing.
Photography and costumes help tell the story
the costumes of The Boston Strangler they help tell the story and situate the viewer in the 1960s. Wearing overcoats to ward off the cold, the women always appear elegant on stage, never forgetting the cigarette, a common companion of most people who lived at that time.
The cold tone photography also helps to give the film the air of mystery, but it can seem a little tiring and make the plot impersonal.
Is The Boston Strangler worth watching?
With an interesting plot and based on real events, The Boston Strangler manages to tell the story without making it appealing or falling into clichés. The performance of the protagonists pleases, as well as the rest of the cast, composed of Alessandro Nivola, Rory Cochrane, Peter Gerety, Robert John Burke.
Those who are fans of true crime (and even those who are not) have a great chance of liking the film. Remembering that The Boston Strangler debuts exclusively on Star+.
