Woman of the Hour is the true story of a serial killer told through the eyes of his prey. In the late 1960s and 1970s, Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) began targeting women. Using charismatic deception, Alcala isolated individuals and enacted his violent intentions. In parallel, Sheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick) is an aspiring actress. Her struggles within the male-dominated industry have led to rejection and frustration. Reluctantly, Sheryl agrees to have a guest spot on The Dating Game. The premise of the show is that Sheryl (the woman of the hour) peppers three male contestants with questions but she cannot see them. After the interrogation, Sheryl will get to select one male suitor as the winner. What Sheryl doesn’t know about Suitor #3—nor anyone else—is that he’s actually the horrific Rodney Alcala.
What works in Woman of the Hour is the fantastic use of psychological perspective. While similar stories typically focus on either the perpetrator or the justice-bringers, director Anna Kendrick examines the victims. This lens keeps the narrative fresh, taut, and terrifying. It also makes Woman of the Hour an incredibly relevant movie. Kendrick is not simply retelling a tragic tale, but instead using the events to illuminate the issues that have, and are still, plaguing women. The commentary is effectively raw. And the result is a cinematic experience that is intentionally, and successfully, chilling.
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Audiences who become unsettled at viewing graphic depictions of assault may prefer to pass on Woman of the Hour. While it is deeply respectful of the victims, it is also honest. Therefore, people may find the sequences depicting Alcala’s attacks very disturbing. Even beyond the physical brutality, many will (or should) find the negative treatment of women in general throughout the film to be both accurate and appalling. Routinely, the female characters are disrespected, gaslit, and psychologically abused as part of their interactions. Exploring these trends is necessary and powerful, but also emotionally draining.
Woman of the Hour is a highly impressive piece of filmmaking, especially consider this is Kendrick’s directorial debut. It is educational, engaging, and cautionary in its own way. Its clear message resonates even today: it is VERY hard to be a woman and has been for a very long time. Kendrick should be lauded for finding a powerful way to convey those sentiments within this vessel.
Recommended if you enjoyed: Blink Twice, Enough, Zodiac
Woman of the Hour is now available to stream on Netflix.
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