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 c... Read allLoretta 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.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.
- Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy
- 1 win & 7 nominations total
- Patrick
- (as Antonio Volpicelli)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe film being watched on the television by James McLaughlin is "Five Fingers" (1952) starring James Mason and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
- GoofsA title at the end of the film said, "George Nassar is still in prison in Massachusetts." The New York Times reported on March 28, 2023, that he had actually died in prison in 2018 at the age of 86.
- Quotes
George Nassar: See, you all created a myth, and it needed to be stopped. People wanted to believe it was Al, but they needed to believe it was Albert. The alternative was just too disturbin'.
Loretta McLaughlin: What's that?
George Nassar: There are many Albert DeSalvos out there. And your safe little world is just a delusion. Men kill women. It didn't start with Albert. Sure as hell doesn't end with him neither.
- ConnectionsFeatures 5 Fingers (1952)
- SoundtracksNowhere to Run
Written by Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Eddie Holland (as Edward Holland Jr.)
Performed by Martha & The Vandellas (as Martha Reeves & The Vandellas)
Courtesy of Motown Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises
My Rating 7/10 Streaming on Disney
This very interesting story is not a remake of any of the previous movie or television adaptations about the horrific murders of at least 11 women from the Boston area between 1962 and 1964.
It's the untold story of the unsung heroines two reporters Loretta McLaughlin played by Keira Knightly and Jean Cole played by Carrie Coon.
These two women were the first to link the murders of at least 11 women in the Boston area between in the early 1960's to one man known as The Boston Strangler by examining the evidence and the similarities in each case .
They worked as women reporters for The Record American Newspaper later The Boston Globe who were assigned to cover "women's stories " fashion and social events while their male colleagues got the real tough news stories of the day.
Loretta is first to request that she be assigned to cover the murders after she discovers the link but is road blocked by her boss until she is taken seriously.
Later her more experienced colleague Jean is assigned to cover the story with her which at first Loretta resents .
This movie is not a crime thriller that part of the story has been told before .
Of course it covers the background of these horrific crimes but the emphasis is on the two women reporters and the obstacles that the Police and their own bosses put up to hinder their investigation.
The Police investigation was shoddy to say the least and the magazine bosses didn't think the women were capable enough to report such a great story.
Keira Knightley is impressive as the determined Loretta who is trying to balance her home life with her career and Carrie Coon is equally impressive as the more worldly Jean who Loretta at first resents as this is her story.
Boston Strangler is not a great film but it's an interesting well acted and well produced.
I found the mood a bit somber and thought it needed a bit of a jolt here and there .
I found the sepia dark tones a little depressing but as the end credits rolled around the importance of this story became obvious these women were pioneering as far as journalism was concerned.
Matt Ruskin wrote the screenplay and directed the film .
I just wondered if a different director may have elevated Boston Strangler to greater heights.
It lacked the impact for me of the recent Maria Schrader movie She Said also about 2 courageous women journalists however it's well worth a look at.
- tm-sheehan
- Mar 25, 2023
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- How long is Boston Strangler?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 52 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1