58
Metascore
30 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperChicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperWriter-director Ruskin and editor Anne McCabe do a superb job of keeping the story moving, even though much of Loretta’s work involves grinding it out by knocking on doors, researching news clippings, interviewing survivors and relatives, making calls from pay phones, etc., etc.
- 80We Got This CoveredMartin CarrWe Got This CoveredMartin CarrBoston Strangler has more to say than some might think by promoting a forthright, focused, and professionally progressive approach in those central performances. Roles which are only made to look easy by Knightley and Coon, purely because they embody them so effortlessly.
- 70Screen RantFerdosa AbdiScreen RantFerdosa AbdiThe Boston Strangler case may not have come to the fairest conclusion, but the efforts of these brave women will hopefully continue to light a fire under those who will catch their own Boston Strangler. If that was Ruskin’s goal with this film, then he was successful.
- 67IndieWireSamantha BergesonIndieWireSamantha BergesonThe stifled quietness of “Strangler” leaves us wanting more, for better or for worse.
- 63Slant MagazineRoss McIndoeSlant MagazineRoss McIndoeWhile the film’s determination to spotlight the women who brought down the Boston Strangler over the killer himself is admirable, it leaves a hole in the middle of the film that nothing else really manages to fill.
- 60SlashfilmChris EvangelistaSlashfilmChris EvangelistaIt's sturdy, dependable stuff, and it might do the trick for viewers not expecting a more traditional serial killer thriller. But if you're looking for something beyond a surface-level telling of a true story, you might just want to rewatch "Zodiac" again instead.
- 50ColliderEmma KielyColliderEmma KielyIt’s clear that Boston Strangler so desperately wanted to copy the recipe for Zodiac and bought all the same ingredients.
- 50The A.V. ClubBrent SimonThe A.V. ClubBrent SimonThe movie attempts to serve multiple narrative masters, but ends up coming across as vague and indistinct.
- 40The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawA director like Jonathan Demme or David Fincher would have gone for the jugular on this kind of material, but writer-director Matt Ruskin seems a little squeamish and keeps everything on the right side of contemporary taste. The chill of fear is missing.
- 30The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisWashed in an unappetizing sludge of grayish green, the movie aims for serious and settles on bilious. The real McLaughlin was a fascinating, pioneering newshound; you’re unlikely to find her here.