The Hillside Strangler is a 2004 crime thriller movie based on the real-life story of the infamous serial killers Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono. The movie opens with Kenneth, played by actor C. Thomas Howell, being rejected repeatedly by different police departments due to his criminal record. He decides to move to California where his cousin Angelo, played by Nicholas Turturro, lives.
Angelo runs an auto shop and lives with his girlfriend, but they take in Kenneth as a roommate. Kenneth starts dating a new woman every night and becomes obsessed with sex. Angelo suggests they start an escort agency, luring young women into the business by promising easy money and luxurious lifestyle. However, their promise was a trap.
The cousins are soon involved in a series of brutal sexual assaults and murders of young women, which shocks the whole of Los Angeles. They believe their criminal activities are justified, as they think the victims were prostitutes who had betrayed them. The story of The Hillside Strangler is told partly from Kenneth's perspective as he manipulates and deceives people around him, including his own family members.
The movie features graphic depictions of violence, sex, and drug use, and has been criticized for its sensational portrayal of the murders. However, it remains a compelling and disturbing account of the events that led to the capture of the Hillside Stranglers and their eventual conviction.