Film Review: BOSTON STRANGLER (2023): Keira Knightley is in Fine Form in a Spine-Tingling Thriller

Boston Strangler Review

Boston Strangler (2023) Film Review, a movie written and directed by Matt Ruskin and starring Keira Knightley, Carrie Coon, Chris Cooper, Alessandro Nivola, Rory Cochrane, David Dastmalchian, Peter Gerety, Robert John Burke, Ryan Winkles, Morgan Spector, Michael Malvesti, Aurora McLaughlin, Liam Anderson, Antonio X Volpicelli, Nancy E. Carroll, Therese Plaehn, Stephen Thorne and Greg Vrotsos.

Filmmaker Matt Ruskin’s Boston Strangler is a story set in the 1960’s about risky journalism. It’s mainly about a female reporter named Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley) whose determination and integrity helped her figure out some of the harsh realities surrounding the true identity of the renowned serial killer referred to in the film’s title. Cast opposite Knightley is the terrific Carrie Coon as Jean Cole, Loretta’s investigation partner. Both performances by Knightley and Coon are of the highest caliber making the film worthwhile even if some of the investigation scenes are nothing new to people who followed the original story when it happened or learned about it years later. Ruskin still creates some genuine tension in the movie which will leave viewers guessing who, exactly, the “Boston Strangler” was.

Loretta and Jean worked for the Record American newspaper. Ruskin’s movie isn’t always about the research the ambitious pair took on but also about their strive for excellence in terms of the quality of their work. Loretta’s struggles at home with her husband and children are also portrayed effectively. There are scenes that boggle the mind as well as they make one remember the time the film was set in and the realities of people who lived during the period. The fact that women could let strangers into their homes almost with open arms who turned out to be murderers is probably the scariest take away from the picture as a whole.

Particularly impressive is the way the movie compares Loretta’s home life to her work life. She struggles to find peace at home with her family and sort of finds her saving grace in life by doing her journalistic work. When the opportunity arises to visit potential suspects, she is smart and doesn’t make the same mistakes as women before her have made. For example, when she goes into a suspect’s house and he invites her further back into the home, she decides to leave sensing something could be wrong.

Knightley portrays a smart and capable woman who doesn’t need her husband’s approval to do what she has to do to find personal satisfaction in her job but she loves her children. Jean Cole was fierce and a true professional and Coon plays the part terrifically. Coon’s character’s best line of dialogue comes when she challenges Loretta and states that their responsibility is to report the news, not create it.

Some of the key suspects in terms of who the Boston Strangler could be are Albert DeSalvo (David Dastmalchian) and Daniel Marsh (Ryan Winkles). While we have facts regarding some of the resolutions regarding who committed the murders featured in the film, the movie hints to fascinating possibilities that suggest there was a whole lot more to the story than what met the eye.

Of course, there are some cliches in the film. Some red herrings throw the audience off completely and the twists and turns seem to deliberately want to block the audience off from figuring out where the movie is ultimately headed. It’s still very suspenseful in sections while doing this. There are details regarding the types of women the Strangler attacked and the variations of the types of his victims soon leads to the movie’s surprise revelation towards the end. This film is also capable of leaving one to wonder how men got away with treating women with disrespect in so many different ways in the workforce as well.

Chris Cooper shines as Jack Maclaine who was Loretta’s boss. He tries to tell her to take time off when she was working overtime to try to crack the case she was focused on regarding the Strangler. Cooper plays his role true to the time period and he’s constantly been one of the most accomplished character actors throughout the years. He certainly doesn’t disappoint here.

Boston Strangler is a standout because of Knightley’s very delicate and nuanced work here. She has so much range as an actress that we sometimes take her for granted. She carries the film towards success and her character’s determination becomes the audience’s as well as the viewer eagerly awaits the scenes it knows are coming regarding the true facts behind one of the most difficult to solve cases of our time.

Matt Ruskin has crafted a deeply disturbing movie that works because of Knightley’s fine work. Coon is the icing on the cake. You may just see how this case and the later Son of Sam case of the 1970’s helped show how serial killers unjustly got away with many murders before they were actually caught. It boggles the mind but these stories are the stuff entertaining dramatic movies are made of even though the fact that these horrific events happened was truly tragic. This movie is a well made film that will grab the viewer right from the start.

Rating: 7.5/10

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