From documentaries like the John Wayne Gacy Tapes to Netflix’s hit series Dahmer and the upcoming Delia Balmer, viewers can’t get enough of the serial killer genre. Hulu is working on a new addition to the morbid yet fascinating genre in the upcoming crime film Boston Strangler, set to arrive in March. It’s based on the true story of the Boston Strangler case from the 1960s and stars Keira Knightley in the lead role as the reporter who broke the story.
The Boston Strangler murders shocked the Boston community and America as a whole in the 60s, becoming a world-famous case. From June 1962 to January 1964, 13 women were murdered in Boston, with most being sexually assaulted and then strangled. The horrific murders gained intense media coverage and publicity and led to residents buying defensive weapons and buying new locks for their homes. The killer eventually turned himself in and confessed to the crimes, revealing himself as Albert DeSalvo- though his confession is disputed- and two investigative reporters had made the Boston Strangler a notorious name. The lead reporter on the story was Loretta McLaughlin, played by Knightley, who worked alongside Jean Cole for the Record American.
The film is based around the newspaper investigation into the Strangler murders, in the vein of movies like the David Fincher film Zodiac, with Loretta becoming the first journalist to start connecting the murders occurring around Boston. She and Jean (played by Carrie Coon) work on the case but find progress and answers difficult due in part to the sexism of the era, with both challenging these social attitudes to uncover the case despite personal risk. They also begin to find that there’s corruption going on that casts doubt on the Strangler’s identity, and as more murders happen, the more intense their efforts become.
Boston Strangler is set to drop on Hulu on 17th March
For more on the latest flicks, check out our February streaming guide.
Also starring alongside Knightley and Coon are Alessandro Nivola (Amsterdam), Chris Cooper (Little Women), David Dastmalchian (Dune), Morgan Spector (The Gilded Age) and Robert John Burke (BlackKkKlansman). The film is set to come to Disney+ in the UK, and Hulu recently unveiled the official trailer which shows Knightley and Coon in action, and gives a sense of the chilling atmosphere and search for answers. The film is also produced by director Ridley Scott and directed by Matt Ruskin. You can watch the trailer above, and see it when it arrives on streaming on 17th March.