Anna Kendrick has continued the trend of bringing decades old high-profile cases to a new generation with “Woman of the Hour”, which is based on the true story of American serial killer Rodney Alcala.
The Netflix movie follows the “Monster” anthology series releases of the Menendez brothers’ parricide case in the late 1980s and Jeffrey Dahmer’s serial killing and sex offending spree from the 70s.
These haunting productions and several others have been hugely successful as they cast prominent ordeals back in the spotlight.
Meanwhile, the movie marks the Hollywood actress’s directorial debut and she also stars as one of the lead characters, Cheryl Bradshaw, an aspiring actress who crossed paths with serial killer Alcala (played by Daniel Zovatto) during an episode of a dating show. He is believed to be behind the murders of 130 victims.
The rest of the cast includes Nicolette Robinson and Tony Hale.
Kendrick steals the show in the film as she portrays a young woman who is desperate to make it in showbiz.
As a director, she also excelled in bringing the 70s to life in the production, which is full of graphic swirls and flowers, smoky lounges and as well as typewriters and landlines.
However, her ability to provide viewers with insight into the mind of a serial killer, without resorting to excessively gruesome murder scenes, alongside the portrayal of how women were objectified and dismissed during that era, leaves a lasting impact.
Kendrick also tells the terrifying true story with sensitivity and precision.
“Woman of the Hour” opens with a powerful scene of Alcala, who was a photographer at the time, taking pictures of a woman in the plains of Wyoming in 1977.
As she opens up to him about her breakup, it becomes clear that the murderer preyed on heartbroken, vulnerable and desperate women.
Following their chat, he strangles her, revives her, and then chokes her to death.
Later scenes also show how he attacked other young ladies, including a woman he killed after helping her move furniture into her apartment.
Then there was a young runaway who he ambushed after luring her into an isolated location.
But it was Bradshaw’s interaction with Alcala which formed the core of the movie.
She agrees after coaxing from her agent to appear as a contestant on “The Dating Game” as a way to gain exposure in the entertainment industry.
Alcala is one of the three potential suitors, and from behind a partition, she asks the men a series of questions to decide on a potential suitor
She decides to go with Alcala, who comes across as courteous, confident and confident, a similar demeanour he used to lure his other victims.
After the filming, the pair go out on a date and he once again portrays himself as a gentleman, but he soon makes her uneasy and she decides to leave. She only manages to flee when a group of people exiting the eatery studio distracts Alcala.
“Woman of the Hour” does a splendid job of revealing how serial killers walk amongst us.
It also provides a chilling glimpse into how easy it was for Alcala to target ladies during this time as in the 70s, women were widely objectified and often not taken seriously.
An example of this was how a “The Dating Game” audience member recognised Alcala as the man she saw with her friend, who was later found murdered at the beach. She verbalised her suspicions to her boyfriend who dismissed her concerns. She then tells a security guard on the show and asks if she can speak to a producer, but he falsely directs her to the janitor instead.
The film also reveals how long Alcala’s killing spree continued despite women reporting him and it took years for him to be arrested.
“Woman of the Hour” is a stellar addition to the true crime genre and with Kendrick at the helm, it does an impressive job to voice these chilling stories of female victims, even if it is decades later.