Woman of the Hour movie review: Anna Kendrick makes an assured directorial debut in this bizarre true-crime thriller

Anna Kendrick, left, and Daniel Zovatto in a scene from ‘Woman of the Hour’
| Photo Credit: LEAH GALLO

Anna Kendrick has chosen a tale stranger than fiction for her directorial debut — the bizarre appearance of a serial killer on The Dating Game, a popular ‘70s show. The killer, Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), was on the show as one of the bachelors, earning him the sobriquet ‘the Dating Game Killer’. Woman of the Hour tells the story from the perspective of Sheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick), an aspiring actor and the bachelorette on the show who had to pick a date from the three bachelors.

The film intercuts the game show with scenes of Alcala’s past crimes. Woman of the Hour opens in 1977 Wyoming with Alcala taking pictures of a woman before strangling and killing her. In 1979, Alcala picks up a teenage runaway, Amy (Autumn Best), convincing her that he can help break into the world of modelling by shooting her portfolio. In 1971, in New York, a flight attendant, Charlie (Kathryn Gallagher), is moving in when she sees Alcala across the road taking pictures. She asks him to help her move, which he does, before he attacks and kills her.

Tony Hale, from left, Anna Kendrick, and Daniel Zovatto in a scene from ‘Woman of the Hour’
| Photo Credit:
LEAH GALLO

The year now is 1978, and Sheryl is auditioning with no luck when her agent urges her to go on The Dating Game, convincing her the exposure would do her good, telling her how others who appeared on the show went on to do great things including actor Helen Hunt.

Sheryl is dismayed at the sexist approach to show, with respect to her appearance and the questions she is supposed to ask the bachelors. Ed (Tony Hale), the host of the show, as well as Bachelors 1 (Matt Visser) and 2 (Jedidiah Goodacre) are equally misogynistic. It is the ultimate irony that the most sensitive bachelor, Number 3, is Alcala, the serial killer! Egged on by one of the feisty make-up women, Sheryl goes off script with questions on the theory of relativity and Immanuel Kant.

One of the members of the audience, Laura (Nicolette Robinson), recognises Alcala as being around her friend who was murdered but no one is willing to listen to her.

Despite knowing how the story ends, Woman of the Hour keeps up the tension. It works as a thriller and as an acute critique of the time. The casual sexism during one of Sheryl’s auditions, where the men discuss her disparagingly in front of her saying, “She kinda looks like that one girl in that thing,” is cringe-worthy. At the studio, execs saying, “She’s got the body let’s use it,” is another squirm-inducing moment. Even Sheryl’s neighbour, Terry (Pete Holmes), is patronising.

While there have been changes made in The Dating Game portion (Sheryl goes out for a drink with Alcala, which the real contestant did not), the parts about Alcala’s killings are fairly accurate. By not going for a Hollywood-style escape from the clutches of the serial killer, Kendrick has shown sensitivity to the other victims as well as realism — there are no happy endings in life, only small victories. The assaults have also been presented sensitively — neither gratuitous nor air-brushed.

Woman of the Hour is well-acted (Zovatto is creepy as Alcala, and Kendrick knocks it out of the park as Sheryl) and designed (perfect period detail from music and costumes to props and attitudes) but true slice-of-life thriller.

Woman of the Hour is currently streaming on Lionsgate Play