Boston Strangler
Movie • 2023 • Crime
ReportLoretta 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.
This movie contains 24 potentially triggering events.
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Your Triggers
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Unanswered Triggers
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Is a woman brutalized for spectacle?
84 supporters
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charmedward
It's based on a true story, but even so it is graphic with the bodies of the victims.
1 comment | Add comment
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Abandonment
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Abuse
Is someone stalked?
23 supporters
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idontcareenoughtofindagoodusername
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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idontcareenoughtofindagoodusername
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)
32 supporters
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Addiction
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Is there addiction?
20 supporters
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Shnn222
Most of the characters either smoke (cigarettes) or drink
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Does someone abuse alcohol?
19 supporters
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Shnn222
characters are depicted drinking in the morning and at work
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Animal
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Assault
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Is someone held under water?
23 supporters
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charmedward
A woman is held under water but it is unclear if she is already dead.
2 comments | Add comment
Is rape mentioned?
82 supporters
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charmedward
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?
25 supporters
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charmedward
Multiple bodies of violated women are found tied up throughout.
1 comment | Add comment
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charmedward
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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charmedward
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 shaving/cutting?
32 supporters
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fraisierdesbois
No, but there's a stabbing scene
1 comment | Add comment
Does someone struggle to breathe?
27 supporters
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idontcareenoughtofindagoodusername
The strangulations happen off screen but you can still hear the struggle happening.
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Does someone asphyxiate?
27 supporters
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Shnn222
multiple times on screen and off (audio only)
2 comments | Add comment
Is there genital trauma/mutilation?
84 supporters
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charmedward
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.
3 comments | Add comment
Does someone become unconscious?
5 supporters
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Spindrift
strangled
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Is someone tortured?
83 supporters
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charmedward
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.
2 comments | Add comment
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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?
19 supporters
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charmedward
There's a minor subplot about a married man getting his girlfriend pregnant.
1 comment | Add comment
Fear
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Are there jump scares?
62 supporters
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Shnn222
Not too many and they are generally after shots of the murderer approaching the next victim
1 comment | Add comment
Is there a shower scene?
7 supporters
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idontcareenoughtofindagoodusername
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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charmedward
No but there is a small, razor-like blade used to stab a character on screen.
1 comment | Add comment
Are there mannequins?
5 supporters
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idontcareenoughtofindagoodusername
Theres a brief scene that takes place at a suspect's house and there is a mannequin in the background.
2 comments | Add comment
Gross
Does someone vomit?
96 supporters
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ycats333
2023 film is safe
1 comment | Add comment
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Is there audio gore?
44 supporters
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Shnn222
the screams of the victims
1 comment | Add comment
Large-scale Violence
Are there 9/11 depictions?
7 supporters
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idontcareenoughtofindagoodusername
It takes place in the 60s
1 comment | Add comment
Law Enforcement
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LGBTQ+
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Medical
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Mental Health
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Does someone attempt suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
77 supporters
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7
Is there misophonia?
34 supporters
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7
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idontcareenoughtofindagoodusername
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)
32 supporters
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Is there a claustrophobic scene?
18 supporters
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Shnn222
At one point Loretta is in a long narrow hallway with a man who could be the murderer
1 comment | Add comment
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5
Does someone die by suicide?
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255)
80 supporters
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Noxious
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Are there flashing lights or images?
45 supporters
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fraisierdesbois
Brief camera flash
2 comments | Add comment
Paranoia
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6
Pregnancy
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Does a pregnant person die?
25 supporters
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charmedward
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
Prejudice
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Is a minority is misrepresented?
26 supporters
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3
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charmedward
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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Is there hate speech?
33 supporters
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5
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fraisierdesbois
A lot of misogyny
3 comments | Add comment
Relationships
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Sex
Are there nude scenes?
42 supporters
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1
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Shnn222
Even in images of the crime scenes, the women have their underwear on
1 comment | Add comment
Yes
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5
Is someone sexually objectified?
45 supporters
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1
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3
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Shnn222
of course the women who were killed were objectified, but not by the film
1 comment | Add comment
Are there incestuous relationships?
National Sexual Assault Hotline 800.656.4673
0 supporters
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6
Is there sexual content?
0 supporters
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5
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Shnn222
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
Sexism
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Sickness
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Social
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Spoiler
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Does it have a sad ending?
56 supporters
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Shnn222
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
Vehicular
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Violence
Does someone drown?
23 supporters
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2
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3
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charmedward
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 blood/gore?
58 supporters
Yes
7
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0
1
charmedward
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
Yes
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6
Is there gun violence?
28 supporters
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No
4
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Shnn222
at least one officer holds a gun out but does not shoot
1 comment | Add comment