Boston Strangler (2023)

Crime thriller— my favourite genre of all time. But I am a bit extra cautious about choosing any movie from this specific area of production as thousands of movies claim to be the same but once peeled out, it’s a disappointment.

This particular movie was on my watchlist for more than 2 months or so. Usually, I watch most movies that I assume to be a good watch as soon as possible but for some unavoidable situations, this has to wait longer than I anticipated.

And it turns out to be a blessing.

After watching a few highly rated yet disappointing movies, Boston Strangler has swapped my mood for good.

Based on a true story, which is one of my favourite lines at the opening scene of any movie, this will keep you glued to the screen the whole time. Almost 2 hours in length, you won’t find a single spot to fast-forward or even pause for a second.

That’s a very generic and biased standpoint.

To be honest, the story is a bit flawed and leaves the audience clueless at the ending; it doesn’t clearly state what happened to the 13 victims and the killers behind this except for one, where it is believed that there were multiple killers behind that.

Actually, the investigation carried out at that time couldn’t identify the culprits, not even how did the killings happen. Quite a professional way of killing; leaves no trace. Enough to send shivers down the spine even in this era.

Many Korean Drama features such stories but the basic difference I found between the Korean and particularly this movie is the representation of gruesome scenes and glorification of the killer. Although there were crime scenes involved, none of them was displayed exclusively to highlight gore and bloodshed.

Again, nobody appreciated the killing expertise of the culprits, rather, it was highlighted as a heinous practice throughout the movie, making it perfect for thrill-seeking audiences who are faint-hearted.

Most probably, the prominent feature of this movie is the extraordinary journalistic mindset of women of that time, whose abilities were challenged. They went above their limits to uncover the truth that the police department was struggling to come up with— really appreciative. But what I didn’t like about this “outstanding ability” to be successful women is the tendency to abandon their families in the process.

Well, to me, nothing comes between you and your children, nothing!

Anyway, the 60s-styled cinematography and visual effects along with moderate violence and masterful acting have made this one of the most-enjoyed movies so far for me.

The story is well-established. If it could manage to refine the ending with more information or clue, I believe it could get more support from me, as well as the mass audience. Already rated 6.5 on IMDb, it could get a decent 7.5 or up only if there were more insights into the murders and consequences for the audience.

_{SS from Boston Strangler}