Woman of the Hour – Review | Netflix (5/5)

WOMAN OF THE HOUR on Netflix is a thriller based on the true story of how the active serial killer, Rodney Alcala, was on a dating show. As a true-crime serial killer thriller, it’s among the very best. Read our full Woman of the Hour movie review here!

WOMAN OF THE HOUR is a new Netflix thriller about the real serial killer Rodney Alcala. Before he was caught, he managed to appear on The Dating Game as one of the bachelors who could win a date.

This is Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut and a very impressive one! Hopefully, this movie is only the very beginning of a long career behind the camera as well as in front. As a movie, this is amazing, and as true crime serial killer thriller, it’s among the very best.

Continue reading our Woman of the Hour movie review below. Find it on Netflix in the US (and other select countries) from October 18, 2024.

The Dating Game Killer

While this movie is titled after the crazy fact that Rodney Alcala managed to be on a dating show while being an active serial killer, this movie isn’t about the dating show. If anything, this movie is like a serial killer victim anthology and the dating show is the wrap-around story.

We keep seeing what happened during The Dating Game, but it’s mixed with flashbacks (and even flashforwards) to the victims of Rodney Alcala. Also, there’s an important focus on how women recognize other women in need, while few men catch on to how dangerous Rodney is until he makes it very clear.

Women tend to feel it in their gut earlier, but since Rodney Alcala manages to make the women feel safe first, he gets them secluded and alone. Only once they’re away from prying eyes and possible witnesses does he turn off the charm and show his true colors.

Daniel Zovatto (It Follows, Don’t Breathe, The Pope’s Exorcist) is breathtaking and terrifying as Rodney Alcala. He is so very charming right up until the point when he isn’t. Once he switches off the charm, the women (and even a few men who cross him) feel it instinctively.

Maybe watch this with a woman

Anna Kendrick, who both stars and directs the movie, has noted on an element of the story that I think most women will recognize more than men. In that sense, it may help men to watch it with a woman.

If nothing else, just to ask them if they recognize the feelings or experiences shown.

Like how a woman will shrink herself and go above and beyond to be pleasing. If a woman laughs at a man, she can be quick to smooth things over and even belittle herself to make him feel better again.

It’s the old “Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them” by Margaret Atwood. However, part of Woman of the Hour is also showing how women can get that power back.

Sometimes to no avail but at other times, enough to save themselves.

Believe women!

The movie has been called a “stranger than fiction”-story. And while it is, you don’t have to watch many true crime documentaries to acknowledge that, sadly, it’s not all that uncommon. Far too many serial killers and/or rapists manage to continue because women weren’t listened to or believed.

If anything, the tagline for Woman of the Hour could easily be “Believe women!” and also “Stop touching women when they clearly don’t want you to!”.

As Woman of the Hour is based on the true story of serial killer and rapist Rodney Alcala, the movie also ends with telling us what happens to him. Including how long law enforcement failed to act on the many accusations against him.

Also, we get an update on Anna Kendrick’s character Sheryl, whose real name is Cheryl Bradshaw, and the final victim of Rodney Alcala. She escaped death but not rape and violence, so she could help finally get him arrested. Not that this ended his murder spree.

Oh no, you’ll see, so make sure you read all the information just before the end credits.

Watch Woman of the Hour on Netflix now!

As already mentioned earlier, Anna Kendrick is the director of Woman of the Hour and this is her debut as a director. An amazing debut at that. I always like seeing Anna Kendrick on my screen, but in the future, I really hope to see her direct more as well.

Preferably genre productions based on what she managed to do here. And maybe even with the same screenwriter. The screenplay comes from Ian McDonald, who previously wrote and directed the 2016 movie Some Freaks but has no other writing credits apart from that.

While Netflix acquired distribution rights for the movie in the US and many other countries, it’s not a global release. Other countries will have it come out in theatrical release first, so if you’re not in the US, check out Netflix to see if it’s out now.

Woman of the Hour is on Netflix US (and other select countries worldwide) from October 18, 2024.

Details

Director: Anna Kendrick
Writer: Ian McDonald
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Tony Hale, Kelley Jakle, Jedidiah Goodacre, Daniel Zovatto, Max Lloyd-Jones, Geoff Gustafson, Matty Finochio, Dylan Schmid, Matthew Kevin Anderson, Matt Visser,
Nicolette Robinson