The Boston Strangler
Seen it?1968 | 116 min | Drama, Crime, Thriller
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
It earned strong reviews (88% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 56 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Made in 1968: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Boston is being terrorized by a series of seemingly random murders of women. Based on the true story, the film follows the investigators path through several leads before introducing the Strangler as a character. It is seen almost exclusively from the point of view of the investigators who have very few clues to build a case upon.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
88% on Rotten Tomatoes, 66 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.7 out of 10
- AwardsBelow par
Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 46K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Richard Fleischer
- Tony CurtisAlbert DeSalvo
- Henry FondaJohn S. Bottomly
- George KennedyDet. Phil DiNatale
- Mike KellinJulian Soshnick
- Hurd HatfieldTerence Huntley
- Murray HamiltonDet. Frank McAfee
- Jeff CoreyJohn Asgeirsson
- Sally KellermanDianne Cluny
- William MarshallAtty. Gen. Edward W. Brooke
- George VoskovecPeter Hurkos