Boston Strangler
Movie • 2023 • Crime
ReportSynopsis
Loretta McLaughlin, who was the first reporter to connect the murders and break the story of the Strangler. She and fellow reporter Jean Cole challenged the sexism of the early ’60s to report on the city’s most notorious serial killer and worked tirelessly to keep women informed. McLaughlin pursued the story at great personal risk and uncovered corruption that cast doubt on the true identity of the Boston Strangler.
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Your Triggers
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Needs More Answers
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Abandonment
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Abuse
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Wife and husband do have arguments but nothing goes into the domestic abuse side.
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Does the abused become the abuser?
National Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-799-7233)
37 supporters
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Is someone stalked?
30 supporters
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Loretta receives some calls where the person on the other line says nothing but heavily breathes into the phone. She also sees someone standing in front of her house and then receives a threatening letter at her house.
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Addiction
Is there addiction?
32 supporters
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Most of the characters either smoke (cigarettes) or drink
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Does someone abuse alcohol?
26 supporters
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characters are depicted drinking in the morning and at work
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Animal
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Assault
Is rape mentioned?
123 supporters
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Multiple instances of sexual violence against elderly women. The camera pans over graphic portrayals of their bodies, leaving next to nothing to the imagination. Characters also discuss the specifics of each case in detail.
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Is someone restrained?
41 supporters
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Multiple bodies of violated women are found tied up throughout.
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Is someone held under water?
39 supporters
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A woman is held under water but it is unclear if she is already dead.
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In addition to the rape of all the victims, an elderly woman's body is found with a broom "between her legs". The camera shows this scene for the audience.
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There are two different scenes of a man entering a woman's home and attacking her. The actual attacks are mostly off screen visually, but not the sounds.
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Bodily Harm
Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
121 supporters
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There is both a verbal description and then an actual scene of a broom "between a woman's legs". We see it on camera in one brief shot, although the dead woman's nightdress has been pulled down enough to hide the most graphic part of this trauma.
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Is there shaving/cutting?
58 supporters
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No, but there's a stabbing scene
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Does someone struggle to breathe?
47 supporters
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The strangulations happen off screen but you can still hear the struggle happening.
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Does someone asphyxiate?
47 supporters
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multiple times on screen and off (audio only)
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Does someone become unconscious?
12 supporters
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strangled
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Is someone tortured?
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I'd argue no? They were killed in horrific and violent ways, but from the murders the camera is present for, the victims seem to be killed quickly. I took the film to mean that they were killed first and assaulted after.
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Children
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Death
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Disability
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Drugs/Alcohol
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Family
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Does someone cheat?
1 supporters
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There's a minor subplot about a married man getting his girlfriend pregnant.
1 comment | Add comment
Fear
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No but there is a small, razor-like blade used to stab a character on screen.
1 comment | Add comment
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Is there a shower scene?
15 supporters
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A woman turns on the tap for the tub and starts to underdress, but stops when she hears a knock on the door.
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Are there mannequins?
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Theres a brief scene that takes place at a suspect's house and there is a mannequin in the background.
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Are there jump scares?
1 supporters
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Not too many and they are generally after shots of the murderer approaching the next victim
1 comment | Add comment
Gross
Does someone vomit?
177 supporters
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2023 film is safe
1 comment | Add comment
Is there audio gore?
73 supporters
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the screams of the victims
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Large-scale Violence
Are there 9/11 depictions?
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It takes place in the 60s
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Law Enforcement
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LGBTQ+
Is there bisexual cheating?
1 supporters
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In one of the final scenes Loretta decides to meet the other female reporter, Jean, in a bar instead of going home to her husband, but the two women are not in a romantic relationship
1 comment | Add comment
Medical
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Mental Health
Does someone die by suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
130 supporters
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Does someone attempt suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
125 supporters
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Is there misophonia?
51 supporters
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Some heavy breathing on the phone. Don't remember if theres any food related ones.
1 comment | Add comment
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Does someone say "I'll kill myself"?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
43 supporters
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Is there a claustrophobic scene?
33 supporters
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At one point Loretta is in a long narrow hallway with a man who could be the murderer
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Noxious
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Are there flashing lights or images?
65 supporters
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Brief camera flash
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Paranoia
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Pregnancy
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Does a pregnant person die?
37 supporters
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The woman is a few months into her pregnancy and was not showing yet. The pregnancy is only revealed to the audience after her murder. It is speculated in the film that she was killed because of her pregnancy.
1 comment | Add comment
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Prejudice
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Is there hate speech?
41 supporters
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A lot of misogyny
3 comments | Add comment
Is a minority is misrepresented?
41 supporters
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No, the gay bars comment is from a police officer explaining why he's so busy - because his boss has him raiding gay bars in addition to everything else. It's unrelated to the case and isn't the police officer suggesting that gay men are to blame.
2 comments | Add comment
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Relationships
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Sex
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Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
101 supporters
Add comment
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Is someone sexually objectified?
56 supporters
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of course the women who were killed were objectified, but not by the film
1 comment | Add comment
Is there sexual content?
1 supporters
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nothing on screen is particularly sexual but the descriptions of the women's assault is graphic and images of the crime scenes are shown
1 comment | Add comment
Are there nude scenes?
1 supporters
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Even in images of the crime scenes, the women have their underwear on
1 comment | Add comment
Sexism
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Sickness
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Social
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Spoiler
Does it have a sad ending?
90 supporters
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12 of the killings remain unsolved and Loretta divorced her husband, but she went on to have a successful career and remained friends with Jean
1 comment | Add comment
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Vehicular
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Violence
Is there blood/gore?
83 supporters
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A character is stabbed to death in the chest / stomach area. There are also graphic images of bruises and other marks left on the dead bodies of the assaulted women.
2 comments | Add comment
Does someone drown?
48 supporters
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Unclear - A character is physically attacked and held under water. It isn't stated if the water or the attack is what killed them.
1 comment | Add comment
Is there gun violence?
43 supporters
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at least one officer holds a gun out but does not shoot
1 comment | Add comment
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