The film follows Loretta McLaughlin (played by Knightley), a reporter for the Record-American newspaper, who becomes the first journalist to connect the Boston Strangler murders. As the mysterious killer claims more and more victims, Loretta attempts to continue her investigation alongside colleague and confidante Jean Cole (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.

ABC Audio, a division of ABC News, will release a true crime companion podcast about the Boston Strangler ahead of the film’s debut on Disney+. The three-part narrative series will be hosted by award-winning journalist and former Boston Globe reporter Dick Lehr, who knew Loretta McLaughlin and has reported on the Boston Strangler case. The podcast will delve into the backstories and tragic fate of the victims linked to the Boston Strangler case and explore why these half-century-old killings remain the subject of so much fascination. It will be available for free on all major podcast platforms.