The Boston Strangler -- debuting on Hulu on Mar. 17 -- follows a standard true-crime drama formula, exploring the investigation into a string of murders carried out over a decade in New England. While it may not break the mold, The Boston Strangler does a solid job of creating something compelling. Anchored by a solid Keira Knightley and bolstered by a strong supporting cast and sense of direction, The Boston Strangler is an effective take on an established genre.
The Boston Strangler focuses on Loretta McLaughlin (Keira Knightley), a reporter at the Boston Record American in the 1960s. Despite being relegated to the lifestyle desk, like most female reporters at the paper, Loretta is drawn to the crime desk -- despite the constant pushback from her critical editor, Jack MacLaine (Chris Cooper). When her proposed report about a series of murders in the city scoops the entire city and enrages the police department, who've been unable to find Boston's first reported serial killer, Loretta becomes increasingly obsessed with finding the truth, especially as the killer's motivations and methods seem to shift slightly over time -- indicating there may have been more than one killer.
As the story picks up national attention, Loretta is shifted to the story full-time along with Jean Cole (Carrie Coon), a canny and experienced reporter. But the additional workload this places on Loretta begins to impact her marriage with James (Morgan Spector) and leaves her increasingly threatened and scared for her life. As their investigation circles people like Albert DeSalvo (David Dastmalchian), Daniel Marsh (Ryan Winkles), Gordon Nielson (Ian Lyons), and Paul Dempsey (Christian Mallan), Loretta finds herself confronting unexpected challenges both professionally and personally -- all while feeling her own world shift and shake as a result of her investigation.
At times feeling like the spiritual successor of Zodiac and Spotlight, The Boston Strangler is a well-constructed film that feels purposefully buttoned up. Knightley does solid work imbuing Loretta with a palpable sense of frustration and drive. The film only occasionally shifts away from Loretta, which prevents the murders and the mystery of the killer from becoming the only real focus of the film. Director/Writer Matt Ruskin never allows the audience to have complete confidence in their thoughts on the mystery.
Ruskin places the audience into Loretta's shoes without overshadowing her as a character. Cooper and Coon both do solid work in fairly standard supporting roles. Loretta and the rest of the extended cast find little nuances in their potentially one-note characters. While the script isn't necessarily flawed, it isn't extremely impressive either -- telling the story as plainly as it can and leaving the actors the room to find depth. It touches on elements of society's willingness to look the other way for personal security and the allure of fame driving men to terrible decisions, but neither idea gets the room it needs to grow. It's workmanlike in an effective, if unimpressive manner, reducing some characters to ciphers and boiling down investigation milestones in the name of character development.
Working with cinematographer Ben Kutchins, Ruskin creates numerous small but effective beats of tension throughout the film, using the purposefully muted color scheme to their advantage. Shot similarly to David Fincher's Zodiac, the film is at its most compelling in these moments. A particular stand-out occurs during Loretta's investigation into Marsh, which quickly takes on the energy of Fincher's 2007 (criminally underrated) thriller as Loretta begins to realize the kind of danger she may be in. The Boston Strangler is a constantly solid and compelling film, with good performances and direction elevating what could have been a standard true-crime drama that serves as a good showcase of Ruskin's ability to strike a solid atmosphere.