Wikipedia

Boston Strangler(film)

Not to be confused withThe Boston Strangler(film).

Boston Strangleris a 2023 Americantrue crimefilm written and directed by Matt Ruskin. It is based on the true story of theBoston Strangler,who, in the 1960sBoston,killed 13 women. The film starsKeira KnightleyasLoretta McLaughlin,the reporter who broke the news for theBoston Record American,withCarrie Coon,Alessandro Nivola,Chris Cooper,David Dastmalchian,andMorgan Spector.

Boston Strangler
Official release poster
Directed byMatt Ruskin
Written byMatt Ruskin
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyBen Kutchins
Edited byAnne McCabe
Music byPaul Leonard-Morgan
Production
companies
Distributed byHulu
Release date
  • March 17, 2023(2023-03-17)
Running time
112 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Boston Stranglerwas released in the United States on March 17, 2023, byHulu.It received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

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In 1962,Boston Record Americanreporter Loretta McLaughlin investigates three cases of older women who were raped and murdered by strangulation in the Boston area. She confirms the victims all had stockings tied around their necks in a bow, probably connecting the crimes to aserial killer.The story angers Boston law enforcement as well as Loretta's boss, who plans to kill the report to protect the company.

When a fourth victim is found, Loretta and fellow reporter Jean Cole decide to continue the investigation. The two women endure rampantsexismin their workplace and society. Loretta's marriage is strained by her long hours and her family is harassed. While writing the articles, Loretta coins the name "the Boston Strangler".

A year later, a seventh woman named Sophie Clark is murdered. A neighbor encountered a man who could be the killer and she provides a vague description. Sophie was much younger than previous victims, which breaks the Strangler's pattern. Loretta and Jean later discover that theBoston Police Departmentis botching the investigation and not sharing information with other cities. Similar murders, like one committed inNew York Cityby a man named Paul Dempsey, have been overlooked.

Albert DeSalvo,a suspect in the investigation, is taken into custody. Sophie's neighbor is asked to identify him in a line-up but she picks a different man,George Nassar.Despite this, in 1964, DeSalvo confesses to all 13 murders. Police do not have enough evidence to tie him to the murders, so he is instead convicted for earlier crimes of robbery and sexual offenses and sentenced to life imprisonment.

By 1965, Loretta learns from a police detective inAnn Arbor, Michigan,that there have been six murders there that are identical to the Boston Strangler's work. She travels to Ann Arbor and learns the most likely suspect is Daniel Marsh, an ex-boyfriend of a Strangler victim. Marsh is later arrested but refuses to cooperate with police. In 1973, DeSalvo calls Loretta and tells her to come to visiting hours the next day to hear his side of the story. Before Loretta can meet with him, he is stabbed to death by another prisoner.

Following an anonymous tip, Loretta meets with Harrison, a former patient atBridgewater State Hospital.He reveals that DeSalvo, Marsh, and Nassar were all held in the same ward at the same time. Harrison also claims DeSalvo's confession was coached by Marsh and Nassar. Loretta visits Nassar in prison. He denies that he and Marsh coached DeSalvo but admits he hoped to claim the reward. He accuses Loretta and the media of creating a sensation around the Strangler and insinuates that there is more than one murderer but that the public does not want to come to terms with it.

Loretta and Jean create a theory that Paul Dempsey killed the first six older women in Boston before he moved to New York. Once Dempsey left Boston,copycat murdersarose, resulting in the later victims being much younger. DeSalvo confessed to all 13 murders so Nassar could collect a $10,000 reward per victim. In return, Nassar arranged for DeSalvo to be represented by a high-profile lawyerF. Lee Bailey.DeSalvo was also deceived into believing he would get a million-dollar book deal that could support his family. TheRecord Americanpublishes Loretta and Jean's theory.

An epilogue tells of Loretta becoming an award-winning medical reporter atThe Boston Globe.Jean continued working as an investigative reporter for 30 years. She and Loretta remained close friends. Marsh was never charged with murder. Nassar never received a reward and is incorrectly said to still be in prison as of 2023.[a]In 2013,DNA evidencelinked DeSalvo to the 13th murder but not the other 12.

Cast

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Keira KnightleyportraysLoretta McLaughlin

Production

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Development and casting

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Boston Strangleris a co-production betweenScott Free Productions,LuckyChap Entertainment,and20th Century Studios.It was written and directed by Matt Ruskin, and produced byRidley Scott,Kevin J. Walsh,Michael Pruss,Tom Ackerley,and Josey McNamara. On October 4, 2021,Keira Knightleyjoined the cast.[8]In November 2021,Carrie Coon,Alessandro Nivola,Chris Cooper,andDavid Dastmalchianwere added to the cast.[9][10]Robert John BurkeandMorgan Spectorwere confirmed to star in early 2022.[11][12]

Filming

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Ben Kutchinsserved as the film's cinematographer.[13]Filming began on December 6, 2021. A house inBelmont, Massachusetts,stood in for the home of reporter Loretta McLaughlin.[14][15][16]That same day, the Winn Brook Elementary School was transformed into the Cambridge Police Department forsecond unitfilming. The school was paid $5,000 to be in the film.[14][15][17]Several private driveways on Statler and Waterhouse Roads were rented to park 1960s vehicles.[14]For the next two days, filming took place in theSouth End;scenes were shot on Dwight Street betweenTremont Streetand Shawmut Avenue.[15]

On December 9, theBenjamin Franklin Institute of Technologywas temporarily turned into a police headquarters for the film.[18][19]Between January 26 and 27, 2022, the former Josephine M. Foster Elementary School inBraintreewas used as a set.[20]Filming also took place inJamaica Plain,Lowell,Lynn,Malden,Roxbury,andWellesley, Massachusetts.[15][21]Several health procedures had to be followed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.The entire crew was vaccinated and tested for the virus three times a week until production concluded.[14]Filming wrapped in March 2022.[22]During post-production,Paul Leonard-Morgancomposed the musical score.[23]

Release

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The film was released on March 17, 2023, byHulu.[24][2]

Reception

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Viewership

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Nielsen Media Research,which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, estimated thatBoston Stranglerwas watched for 206 million minutes from March 13-19, 2023.[25]Whip Media,which tracks viewership data for the more than 21 million worldwide users of itsTV Timeapp, calculated thatBoston Stranglerwas the third most-streamed in the U.S. during the week of March 19, 2023.[26][27]The streaming aggregator Reelgood, which monitors real-time data from 5 million users in the U.S. for original and acquired streaming programs and movies across subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) and ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) services, reported thatBoston Stranglerwas the eighth most-streamed program during the week of March 23, 2023.[28][29]

Critical response

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On thereview aggregatorwebsiteRotten Tomatoes,68% of 140 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Boston Strangleris nowhere near as gripping as it should be, but the worthy story and strong cast are often adequate compensation. "[30]Metacritic,which uses aweighted average,assigned the film a score of 58 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[31]

Kevin Slane writing forBoston.compraised Keira Knightley's performance, asserting, "Knightley is perfect in the role of McLaughlin, able to convey her dogged determination with a single steely glance."[32]Nick Allen ofRogerEbert.comgaveBoston Stranglera grade of two and a half out of four stars, saying, "Boston Stranglerreaches a point in which it is totally controlled by the wild course of events it is recreating, and it does make for decent, unsettling twists in a third act based on truth. But the emotional resonance is scant, even for howBoston Stranglercasts another spotlight on game-changing Boston journalism. By the end, even Knightley only has so much space to construct a distinct arc from a dedication that lasted years and altered Loretta's personal life. 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. "[33]

Several reviewers made unfavorable comparisons to the earlierThe Boston Strangler(1968) orDavid Fincher'sSeven(1995) andZodiac(2007).Peter BradshawofThe Guardiangave the film a grade of two out of five stars, writing, "A director likeJonathan Demmeor David Fincher would have gone for the jugular on this kind of material, but writer-director Matt Ruskin seems a little squeamish and keeps everything on the right side of contemporary taste. The chill of fear is missing. "[34]Jeannette Catsoulis ofThe New York Timesstated, "Despite the film's flaccid gestures toward the sexism of the period—to boost sales, the women's pictures are added to their bylines—" Boston Strangler "is a dreary, painfully stylized slog."[35]

Accolades

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Boston Stranglerwas nominated forOutstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movieat the75th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards.[36][37]It won Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Limited or Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television at the2023 American Society of Cinematographers Awards.[38][39]

Historical accuracy

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The storyBoston Stranglerpresents is largely historically accurate, including the details of the crimes and investigation, the names of the victims, the sexism Loretta and Jean faced, and the fact that Loretta and Jean coined the name Boston Strangler.[40][41][42]However, authorities, authors and others still disagree about whether DeSalvo was the sole killer or whether the murders could have been the work of multiple individuals,[43]as posited by the film.

Director Matt Ruskin interviewed the children of Loretta and Jean as well as their former colleagues to learn more about them and their work.[44]In addition, Ruskin read all of Loretta and Jean's articles and "some of the headlines were pulled right from the paper. Keira has some voiceover in the film, where you hear what she's actually writing, and some of that was pulled directly from their stories, too".[44]

Several historical inaccuracies stem from condensing the timeline. For example, in the film Loretta begins investigating after three murders, while in real life she did so after four; Sophie Clark is murdered on New Year's Eve in the film but in reality, she was discovered on December 5; in the film, the copycat murders in Michigan occur in 1965 but they actually occurred between 1967 and 1969; and the film shows DeSalvo's death as occurring shortly after his conviction, in reality, the Boston Strangler's final murder was in 1964, DeSalvo was convicted in 1967, and he was killed in 1973.[45][46]

Other major details changed for the film include:

  • The character Detective Conley is a composite of multiple real detectives who worked on the case.[41][44]
  • The film shows Loretta and Jean meeting for the first time shortly before working together on the stories in 1962, in real life, they worked together as early as April 1952.[42]
  • In the film, DeSalvo calls Loretta and tells her to come to visiting hours the next day to hear his side of the story; however, he is killed by other prisoners that night. In real life, DeSalvo called psychiatrist Dr. Amos Robey just before his death.[40][45]
  • Daniel Marsh is actually a pseudonym given to a suspect in the case whose identity has never been made public; a suspect also referred to as David Parker by some media. In the film and in real life, he was a former Harvard student with a history of domestic abuse who moved to Michigan before copycat murders took place. However, in the film, the suspect's real name is given as Daniel Marsh, and it does not mention that another suspect was later convicted of one of the murders in the Michigan case.[44][45]
  • While the character of Paul Dempsey is fictional, some of the details about his life are based on suspected serial killerCharles E. Terry.[47]

Notes

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  1. ^Shortly after the film's release,The New York Timesreported that Nassar died in 2018, at the age of 86. His death was not publicly announced at the time.[1]
  2. ^The real Cole was married as Jean Harris at the time.[3]

References

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  1. ^Sandomir, Richard (March 28, 2023)."George Nassar, 86, Killer Who Heard Confession in Strangler Case, Is Dead".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on March 28, 2023.RetrievedMarch 28,2023.
  2. ^abcdGrobar, Matt (January 3, 2023)."Boston StranglerPremiere Date, First Look: Keira Knightley-Led True-Crime Thriller From 20th Century Studios To Be Accompanied By ABC Audio Podcast ".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on January 3, 2023.RetrievedJanuary 3,2023.
  3. ^O'Laughlin, Frank (August 13, 2015)."Jean Cole Harris, 89, Former Newspaper Reporter".Patch.Archivedfrom the original on March 15, 2023.RetrievedMarch 16,2023.
  4. ^abKroll, Justin (November 17, 2021)."Carrie Coon, Alessandro Nivola & Chris Cooper Join 20th Century's 'Boston Strangler'".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on May 26, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 22,2023.
  5. ^Couch, Aaron (November 30, 2021)."David Dastmalchian Joins Keira Knightley in 'Boston Strangler' (Exclusive)".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on May 26, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 22,2023.
  6. ^Sledge, Philip (March 17, 2023)."Boston Strangler Cast: Where You've Seen The Actors From The Hulu True Crime Thriller".CinemaBlend.Archivedfrom the original on March 17, 2023.RetrievedMarch 18,2023.
  7. ^Grobar, Matt (February 11, 2023)."Oliver Trevena Joins Renny Harlin's Action-Thriller 'The Bricklayer'; Robert John Burke Boards 20th Century Studios' 'Boston Strangler'".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on April 5, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 22,2023.
  8. ^Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 4, 2021)."Keira Knightley To Star In 20th Century Studios'Boston Strangler;Scott Free, LuckyChap Producing ".Deadline Hollywood.Archived fromthe originalon January 31, 2022.RetrievedDecember 1,2021.
  9. ^Kroll, Justin (November 17, 2021)."Carrie Coon, Alessandro Nivola & Chris Cooper Join 20th Century'sBoston Strangler".Deadline Hollywood.Archived fromthe originalon May 26, 2022.RetrievedDecember 1,2021.
  10. ^Couch, Aaron (November 30, 2021)."David Dastmalchian Joins Keira Knightley inBoston Strangler(Exclusive) ".The Hollywood Reporter.Archived fromthe originalon May 26, 2022.RetrievedDecember 1,2021.
  11. ^Grobar, Matt (February 10, 2022)."Oliver Trevena Joins Renny Harlin's Action-ThrillerThe Bricklayer;Robert John Burke Boards 20th Century Studios'Boston Strangler".Deadline Hollywood.Archived fromthe originalon April 5, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 10,2022.
  12. ^Kroll, Justin (February 16, 2022)."Gilded Age's Morgan Spector Joins 20th Century'sBoston StranglerStarring Keira Knightley ".Deadline Hollywood.Archivedfrom the original on February 16, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 16,2022.
  13. ^"Ben Kutchins – Resume"(PDF).Innovative Artists.Archived(PDF)from the original on December 10, 2021.RetrievedDecember 10,2021.
  14. ^abcdTzouvelis, Joanna K. (November 18, 2021)."20th Century Studios filmingBoston Stranglermovie in Belmont ".Wicked Local.Archivedfrom the original on December 6, 2021.RetrievedDecember 6,2021.
  15. ^abcdBowker, Brittany (December 8, 2021)."Dispatches fromBoston Stranglerset: Filming continues in the South End ".The Boston Globe.Archivedfrom the original on April 13, 2022.RetrievedDecember 11,2021.
  16. ^Tzouvelis, Joanna K. (December 9, 2021)."Belmont's Winn Brook neighborhood transforms into 1960s forBoston Stranglerfilming ".Wicked Local.Archivedfrom the original on December 9, 2021.RetrievedDecember 9,2021.
  17. ^Reed, Matt (December 6, 2021)."Boston Stranglermovie filming in Belmont ".WCVB-TV.Archivedfrom the original on December 9, 2021.RetrievedDecember 9,2021.
  18. ^Holt, Rachel (December 9, 2021)."South End Transforms Into Movie Set ForBoston StranglerStarring Keira Knightley ".WBZ-TV.Archivedfrom the original on February 9, 2022.RetrievedDecember 9,2021.
  19. ^"Movie Crews Transform The South End Into A Set For TheBoston StranglerFilm ".WBZ-TV. December 9, 2021.Archivedfrom the original on December 10, 2021.RetrievedDecember 9,2021.
  20. ^Barbuto, Dana (January 27, 2022)."Hollywood comes to Braintree:Boston Stranglerfilms at old Foster School ".The Patriot Ledger.Archivedfrom the original on January 28, 2022.RetrievedJanuary 28,2022.
  21. ^Slane, Kevin (November 17, 2021)."Boston Stranglermovie adds 3 more stars to its cast, begins filming next month ".Boston.com.Archivedfrom the original on January 24, 2022.RetrievedDecember 6,2021.
  22. ^@trishbeautyguru (March 5, 2022)."That's a wrap on Loretta &Boston Strangler".RetrievedMarch 12,2022– viaInstagram.
  23. ^"Paul Leonard-Morgan to Score Matt Ruskin'sBoston Strangler".Film Music Reporter.July 27, 2022.Archivedfrom the original on July 27, 2022.RetrievedAugust 2,2022.
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  25. ^Bell, BreAnna (April 13, 2023)."Nielsen Streaming Top 10: 'The Mandalorian' Crosses 1 Billion Minutes Threshold With 25% Viewership Jump, 'Star Trek: Picard' Cracks Original Titles Chart".Variety.RetrievedSeptember 18,2024.
  26. ^Prange, Stephanie (March 21, 2023)."'Luther: The Fallen Sun,' 'The Mandalorian' Top Weekly Whip U.S. Streaming Charts ".Media Play News.Archivedfrom the original on March 23, 2023.RetrievedMarch 23,2023.
  27. ^Burch, Sean (March 23, 2023)."Boston Strangler, Kiera Knightley Give Hulu a Streaming Win".TheWrap.Archivedfrom the original on March 23, 2023.RetrievedMarch 23,2023.
  28. ^Gruenwedel, Erik (March 31, 2023)."Reelgood: Original 'John Wick' Movie Supplants 'The Last of Us' Atop Weekly Streaming Chart".Media Play News.Archivedfrom the original on October 18, 2023.RetrievedApril 3,2023.
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  33. ^Allen, Nick (March 17, 2023)."Boston Strangler movie review (2023)".RogerEbert.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 17, 2023.RetrievedMarch 18,2023.
  34. ^Bradshaw, Peter (March 16, 2023)."Boston Strangler review – Keira Knightley serial-killer story tells fierce tale".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on March 18, 2023.RetrievedMarch 19,2023.
  35. ^Catsoulis, Jeannette (March 16, 2023)."'Boston Strangler' Review: Chasing a Killer (and a Byline) ".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on March 16, 2023.RetrievedMarch 18,2023.
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  37. ^Moreau, Jordan; Schneider, Michael (July 12, 2023)."Emmys 2023: The Complete Nominations List".Variety.RetrievedSeptember 18,2024.
  38. ^Rahman, Abid (March 3, 2024)."American Society of Cinematographers Awards: 'Oppenheimer's' Hoyte van Hoytema Wins Film Prize".The Hollywood Reporter.RetrievedSeptember 18,2024.
  39. ^Pond, Steve; McGovern, Joe (March 3, 2024)."'Oppenheimer' Wins Top Prize From American Society of Cinematographers ".TheWrap.RetrievedSeptember 18,2024.
  40. ^abBowker, Brittany (March 17, 2023)."How accurate is Hulu's 'Boston Strangler'? Here's what to know".The Boston Globe.Archivedfrom the original on March 20, 2023.RetrievedMarch 20,2023.
  41. ^abTruitt, Brian (March 17, 2023)."Fact-checking Hulu's 'Boston Strangler': Who were the two women reporters who chased a killer?".USA Today.Archivedfrom the original on March 20, 2023.RetrievedMarch 20,2023.
  42. ^abSlane, Kevin (March 17, 2023)."Separating fact from fiction in the 'Boston Strangler' movie".Boston.com.Archivedfrom the original on March 21, 2023.RetrievedMarch 20,2023.
  43. ^Smith, David (March 20, 2023)."'Those people are the unsung heroes': the women who tried to unmask the Boston Strangler ".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on March 21, 2023.RetrievedMarch 21,2023.
  44. ^abcdMenta, Anna (March 17, 2023)."'Boston Strangler' True Story: Director Matt Ruskin Explains What He Changed For the Hulu Movie ".Decider.Archivedfrom the original on March 19, 2023.RetrievedMarch 20,2023.
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  47. ^Carter, Jack (March 25, 2023)."What The Boston Strangler Movie Changed About Suspect Paul Dempsey".Screen Rant.Archivedfrom the original on March 26, 2023.RetrievedMarch 26,2023.
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