As the mysterious killer claims more and more victims, Loretta attempts to continue her investigation alongside colleague and confidante Jean Cole (Carrie Coon), yet the duo finds themselves stymied by the rampant sexism of the era.

Nevertheless, McLaughlin and Cole bravely pursue the story at great personal risk, putting their own lives on the line in their quest to uncover the truth.

“Boston Strangler” stars two-time Oscar® nominee Keira Knightley (“The Imitation Game,” “Pride & Prejudice”), Emmy® nominee Carrie Coon (“Fargo,” “The Gilded Age”), Alessandro Nivola (“Amsterdam”), David Dastmalchian (“Dune”), Morgan Spector (“Homeland”), Bill Camp (“Joker”), and Academy Award® winner Chris Cooper (“Adaptation”). Written and directed by Matt Ruskin (“Crown Heights”), the film is produced by Ridley Scott (“The Martian”), Kevin J. Walsh (“House of Gucci”), Michael Pruss (“American Woman”), Josey McNamara (“Promising Young Woman”), and Tom Ackerley (“I, Tonya”), with Michael Fottrell (“The Fate of the Furious”) and Sam Roston serving as executive producers. Sam Roston is overseeing for Scott Free and Bronte Payne for LuckyChap.
www.facebook.com/20thCenturyStudiosAUNZ

The political farce side of the film succeeds quite admirably as the business of modern-day elections in America seems both excessively driven by funding and also quite devoid of scruples, it would appear to be a not too difficult target to strike. The success of the comic element however comes across as more elusive.

It’s strange too, as Steve Carell would seem a perfect choice as political operative Gary Zimmer. His usual button-down persona and understated humour would seem a good match. It’s the material that he is given that leads to the inconsistency. There are some odd choices of both text and actions that come across as underdeveloped.

This doesn’t dramatically decrease the entertainment value, it just adds the sensation of it being something good that could have been great. It is clever with the final twist and the ultimate victors are more than deserving. Maybe the silliness is necessary as a completely accurate representation of a behind the scenes look at the machinations of the American election process would be more scary than fun.

Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/UniversalPicturesAU

This is also true with famous or unknown faces attached to the project. If the story resonates on a personal level, it can have a dramatic effect, so the feelings while watching A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood utterly surprised me. Intentionally going in with as little knowledge about the film as possible, the emotional effect was potent.

Being estranged from my father most of my adult life and having no final closure before his death made watching this film close to overwhelming. It’s been a very long time since a film has had this much of an emotional impact on me. It accomplished this not through mere audience manipulation or pushing those buttons that almost always work but by finding its centre in a place that feels authentic by virtue of its understatement.

That the story is based on reality and the Esquire story on Mister Rogers that the film is built around actually exists and is easily accessible, only adds to the effect. I strongly recommend anyone that connects with this film should seek it out and read it. There are many elements from it woven into the film to great effect. There is a vivid sense of relatability in an uncomplicated story told without extraneous elements.
Rob Hudson
www.facebook.com/SonyPicturesAUS

After a jaded magazine writer (Emmy winner Matthew Rhys) is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about empathy, kindness, and decency from America’s most beloved neighbour.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood will be released in Australian cinemas January 23.
www.facebook.com/SonyPicturesAUS

After a jaded magazine writer (Emmy winner Matthew Rhys) is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about empathy, kindness, and decency from America’s most beloved neighbor.

Inspired by the article “Can You Say. . . Hero?” by Tom Junod, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood stars Tom Hanks, Matthew Rhys, Susan Kelechi Watson and Chris Cooper, and will be released in Australian cinemas January 23!

www.facebook.com/SonyPicturesAUS

The use of the late actor’s sound bites from previous films is seamlessly integrated into the new edition. It shows a love and respect for that titan of the big screen that feels real. The film’s message of dealing with the advancement of technology and feeling left behind by it is an interesting one given the context.

As always the animation looks fantastic and thankfully stays squarely in the animated world and resists the need to be photo realistic. It’s a world that no one inhabits quite like Pixar. The state of the art graphics are even more impressive, given that they are used to richen the experience and not just to raise the wow factor.

The opening short Lou with its message about bullying and its potential cause was also excellent.

Rob Hudson
www.movies.disney.com.au