This year at the Toronto International Film Festival, a plethora of incredible films were screened for the first time. One of those films was the crime thriller, Woman of the Hour, which arrived on Netflix this week. The film is set in the 70's and is based off the life and crimes of serial killer, Rodney Alcala, who gained notoriety for appearing on The Dating Game during his murder spree, with a body count of potentially 130+ women and girls.
Woman of the Hour is a special film, not only because it centers around an infamous serial killer, but because it serves as the directorial debut of actress, Anna Kendrick. Although she did not write the film herself, Kendrick makes an extremely promising debut, creating a story with plenty of suspense and terror. In addition to directing, Kendrick also stars as the film's protagonist, Cheryl Bradshaw, a struggling actress whose career leads her to making an appearance on The Dating Game on the same day as Rodney Alcala.
The film shifts between three key points of view. Cheryl Bradshaw as she prepares to go on the show, flashbacks of Rodney as he wreaks havoc across America, and Laura, an audience member at The Dating Game who recognizes Rodney and attempts to get the police involved. Some of these are definitely more attention-grabbing than others. Cheryl's storyline is the most linear and easy to follow, Kendrick does a fantastic job of creating a character we can root for. By the time we get to the actual game show portion of the film, we have already seen what Rodney can do in terms of brute strength, and his ability to kill without remorse. As he delivers good answer after good answer on the show, the feeling of dread becomes more and more palpable. Cheryl is not some blank slate character or a mere plot device, she is her own person, and over the course of the film we learn about her life, struggles, and ambitions, she becomes someone you can envision as a friend. That's why it's so difficult to watch her fall into Alcala's trap.
Woman of the Hour really stands out in terms of direction, writing, and suspense, but perhaps the most eye-catching element of the whole film are the performances. Anna Kendrick of course gives a relatable portrayal of Cheryl Bradshaw, but the real crown jewel is Daniel Zovatto as Rodney Alcala. Bringing a character to life on the big screen is no easy feat, but the difficulty is increased tenfold when you are tasked with portraying a real life figure. Zovatto isn't playing a celebrity who has thousands of hours of footage of them, he's playing an elusive serial killer who made one singular TV appearance. Therefore, a lot of gaps have to be filled in by research, and its clear that Zovatto did his homework. He strikes this perfect balance between being charismatic and unsettling. It's clear that this man is intelligent, well-traveled, and charming, but there is an indescribable quality about him that makes you never want to leave your drink unattended. Alcala was known for being clever, persuasive, and well-educated, having studied at both NYU and UCLA. He was known for luring his exclusively female victims into remote locations under the guise of taking their portrait, where he would then strangle them and dispose of the body.
A serial killer appearing on The Dating Game is one of the strangest things to ever happen on mainstream television, and as a long-time true crime fan, I'm surprised it wasn't turned into a movie sooner. Woman of the Hour does a fantastic job at bringing this story to life without seeming exploitative. Its performances will enthrall you and the carefully crafted suspense will leave you on the edge of your seat.
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