Pleasantly old-fashioned and conventional
And while we’re on the subject of nihilism, the entire film is drenched in cold, dead, cool colors, there’s no sunlight even during the day, the sky is as murky as the soul of the Boston Strangler himself – and maybe some old white folks too Men who deny McLaughlin and Cole any competence, after all they are women.
Still, the plot isn’t stuffed with unnecessary feminist ideas (which would only distract from the murder cases), actually focuses much more on the rookie aspect of making a name for herself in the industry – Ruskin shows a good sense of balance between closeness and distance to the characters. Otherwise, “Boston Strangler” opts for a classically linear narrative style that dispenses with extravagant gimmicks, hectic cuts and (all too) hair-raising twists and turns, but still comes across as no less engaging.
In short: “Boston Strangler” is pleasantly old-fashioned and conventional and confirms most genre expectations instead of undermining them. In this case, that’s nothing negative, but rather all-round coherent.