REVIEW: BOSTON STRANGLER

3.5/5

Boston Illegal. 

112 Mins. Starring: Keira Knightley, Carrie Coon, Alessandro Nivola, David Dastmalchian, Morgan Spector, Rory Cochrane, Bill Camp & Chris Cooper. Director Matt Ruskin. 

The hallowed, cobbled streets of Boston, New England pave their way to many a legend. A bar where everyone knows your name. A man, seven-feet high and rising with more rings than he had fingers, leading the pride of a Celtic like a Bird to the promised land and the hope and dreams of Civil Rights. There's the Red Sox and the beautiful park they walked in, base-to-base. But then there's the Curse of the Bambino. Magic in Game 7 with a hook. And much darker and more nefarious times in this great city of Massachusetts' long and winding history. Like a Jack Ripper in London. Or the 'Boston Strangler'. A truly evil man (or group of cruel and callous, conspiring men) who killed 13 women in the 1920s. There's been many movies and series that have documented this dark time in American history, most notably Richard Fleischer's 1968 'The Boston Strangler' movie starring Tony Curtis and Albert DeSalvo. But nothing cuts to the core more than this new one now streaming on Hulu and therefore Disney +. 

Stop press! Like a 'Bombshell' news team assembling against Trump. Put the 'Boston Strangler' of 2023 next to 'The Post' formidable films of inspired, influential, investigatory journalism like 'All The President's Men'. Akin to last year's 'She Said' which was criminally written off at this year's Oscars (doesn't mean it wasn't a great movie of even greater importance, all at once). 'Crown Heights' producer Matt Ruskin's film (produced by Ridley Scott and Scott Free company) shines a 'Spotlight' on the brutality that happened in Boston like the abuse and sex-scandal of the Catholic Church. All whilst the pounding plot puts a drawn-out stranglehold on you with signs like the 'Zodiac' that this case was never completely and satisfactorily solved. That doesn't stop our Hoffman and Redford or Mulligan and Kazan like journalists pursuing even more than the police with Suffragette spirit for their rights as journalists and the rights of women everywhere. To merely live on the face of this earth that should have never just been dubbed a "man's world."

'Pirates Of The Caribbean' and 'Pride and Prejudice' star Keira Knightley gives the performance of her career next to 'Atonement' and 'The Imitation Game' as the legendary Loretta McLaughlin who refused to sit and wait on stories about reviewing toasters to pop up on her desk. Accented as the American, Knightley walks these dark nights in a breakthrough role as the journalist who broke the story of the Boston Strangler that gripped headlines and fears nationwide in a vice grip. By her side, desk-to-desk is more seasoned reporter Jean Cole. The perfect partner and mentor played with punch by Carrie Coon (also of 'The Post' along with 'Widows' and the finest TV work in 'The Leftovers' and 'Fargo') who stole the show in David Fincher's awesome adaptation of Gillian Flynn's shelve changing 'Gone Girl'. 

How many more women have to be portrayed in a crime scene photo before the police wake up from their coffee? At least character Academy actor Alessandro Nivola copping one of the roles of his career is on the case with restrained reluctance like Mark Ruffalo in the 'Zodiac' picture. 'Argo's' Rory Cochrane refuses to say "ahhh go f### yourself" to this investigation too as he wants to nail this S.O.B. But who is he? Before David Dastmalchian became a fanboy and girl favourite in DC and Marvel movies, this superhero was the expert at playing creeps or stranger characters like in Denis Villeneuve's 'Prisoners'. And here that's no exception as he confesses to the crimes for chapters in a book and change in his bank account. It seems more the meddling of men than the misogyny of those times claiming they were the only ones that could take care of women (and not themselves) is what is holding this case up. Cue the great Bill Camp's underused police commissioner making a point. 'Allegiance' and 'Homeland' actor Morgan Spector's husband is supportive, until he isn't (but we don't really know the strain on the family). About the same time veteran Chris Cooper's editor comes around, without a touch of condescension when he affectionately calls Loretta "kid." 

In this world where we see and reveal far too much, credit Ruskin for not revealing what happens behind closed doors in gross gratuitous scenes of abuse. The terrifying, blood-curdling screams are more than enough to haunt us with just how bad this stranger that came knocking with the cruellest of intentions was. Besides, I much prefer factual films championing the heroes fighting the good fight, than the trend of binging true crime docs on Netflix like it was reality TV drama and not actual people's lost lives. It's all there to read about and this movie serves as a documentary like history lesson to not only show some of the worst crimes on women that still happen to this day, but a trailblazer and iconic figure in history who helped those who felt hidden between the classifieds and the sports pages. Not to mention those women who lived in fear of not just sexism, but their lives with the many men that preyed on them with what almost ignorantly seemed like impunity. Catching the infamous 'Boston Strangler' rights an injustice. One where the brutal bastard of a killer and his moniker is known more than the women who were able to shine a light on him so he and his crimes could no longer hide in plain sight. It's time for us to look further into this case. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Further Filming: 'She Said', 'Spotlight', 'Zodiac'.