A true crime film about a journalist who broke the news about the Boston Strangler is now streaming in the UK for free on Channel 4.
Released in 2023, Boston Strangler stars Keira Knightley as Loretta McLaughlin, the Boston Record American reporter who connected the murders about the serial killer.
The Boston Strangler was the name given to the murderer of 13 women in the Massachusetts capital in the early 1960s.
Between June 14, 1962, and January 4, 1964, 13 women aged between 19 and 85 were killed, with most being sexually assaulted and strangled in their apartments.
The police quickly suspected one man was the perpetrator of all the crimes.
There had been no sign of forced entry into the women’s homes, leading authorities to believe the victims knew the man or let him in, thinking he was a service provider.
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The crimes shook the city, with many residents rushing to buy tear gas and new locks and deadbolts for their doors. Some women even moved out of the area due to safety concerns.
McLaughlin was one of the first journalists to report on the murders and coined the term for the serial killer.
Her work was the focus of the movie, which also detailed conflicting theories that the man who eventually confessed to all crimes was not the only killer.
In its review, The Hollywood Reporter called the movie ‘smart and powerfully understated’.
‘It’s a crime drama, ticking away softly as events unfold. Some scenes unnerve, slowly, breathing in order to allow the impact to become clear,’ Screen Anarchy shared.
‘The Boston Strangler is a standard but solid approach to the true-crime drama, anchored by a great Keira Knightley performance and strong direction,’ CBR added.
Viewers called it ‘fascinating’, ‘chilling’ and ‘compelling’ too.
Boston Strangler also stars The White Lotus’ Carrie Coon as Jean Cole, a reporter who also covered the case, while David Dastmalchian was Albert DeSalvo, who confessed to the crime.
Although physical evidence confirmed his claims, he was only prosecuted in 1967 for a series of unrelated rapes, for which he was convicted and imprisoned.
In 1973 he was found stabbed to death in the Massachusetts Correctional Institution prison infirmary.
Fellow inmates later claimed he’d been killed for selling amphetamines in the prison for less than the inmate-enforced syndicate price.
Boston Strangler is streaming on Channel 4.
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