Woman Of The Hour Review: A Chillingly Entertaining True Crime Romp

There are times when life as a woman feels sort of like a neverending game show where you're constantly being asked to assess which of our lucky contestants is secretly a sexual predator. So it's fitting that "Woman of the Hour" brings us the shocking true story of a serial killer who was brazen enough to go on "The Dating Game" in the midst of a murder spree. The film is the impressive directorial debut from Anna Kendrick, who brings to "Woman of the Hour" the unique sense of humor and visual style of a much more seasoned filmmaker. She surrounds herself with a top-notch cast of both well-known stars and actors just breaking out, crafting a nuanced and tense yet always entertaining production.

Cheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick) is an aspiring actress at the end of her rope in Los Angeles, constantly getting turned down after every single audition. But just as she's about to give up her dream of breaking into Hollywood, her agent throws her a lifeline, booking her to be the bachelorette on an episode of "The Dating Game." It's not real acting, of course, but she's promised that it'll get her exposure, so she reluctantly agrees. The three bachelors who appear on the show are all a little sleazy, as is only to be expected. But one of them, Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), is creepy even by "The Dating Game" standards and, as we see glimpses of some of his murders over the course of the film, we know just how dangerous catching his eye can be.

In a way, "The Dating Game" is the perfect venue for a serial killer to showcase their skills. Their success in luring victims depends entirely on their ability to be charming, control the conversation, and tell the other person exactly what they want to hear — the same strategy of any "Dating Game" bachelor. It's interesting how Anna Kendrick depicts the different levels of male threats in this film and how they all contribute to creating a hostile environment for women. Pete Holmes plays Cheryl's neighbor and fellow actor, who does the whole nice guy routine to guilt her into sleeping with him. When Lisa (Nicolette Robinson) — an audience member at "The Dating Game" who recognizes Alcala from a previous encounter — has a panic attack at the show and tells her boyfriend what she knows, he makes her feel as though her memory can't be trusted, as though you could forget the face of the man who murdered one of your best friends.

Tony Hale's "The Dating Game" host Ed Burke is a bully who objectifies the female contestants and harasses them into conforming to his idea of how a bachelorette on the show should look and act. The directors Cheryl auditions for make lascivious comments about her body, Bachelor #2 comments on what chest size a woman could have that would be the minimum he would deign to date, the list goes on and on — very few men in the film come out looking good. Sure, they're not serial killers, and some of them might even be good people — Lisa's boyfriend offers a tearful apology days later for not believing her, while Bachelor #2 senses Alcala's threatening nature that peeks through when his mask falls and quietly warns Cheryl about him as they say their goodbyes at the end of the show. But in a million insidious ways, they make the world more difficult — and yes, dangerous — for women.

Right off the bat, we can see Anna Kendrick's confident eye as a director. She has a strong understanding of how to use the camera to build tension, as she demonstrates while creating a scene where her character is being followed by the killer in an empty parking lot. She resists the urge to go over the top with the score or add in a jump scare. Instead, "Woman of the Hour" is filled with quiet dread, with the persistent presence of the distinctly male threat looming in the background. Although Kendrick's performance is at the narrative heart of the film — it's based on her character's appearance on "The Dating Game," after all — she has the good sense to surround herself with a talented supporting cast and knows when to let them shine. The two standouts among the excellent ensemble cast are Daniel Zovatto as Rodney Alcala, who knows exactly when to play gregariously charming and when to have the character turn on a dime into legitimately unsettling territory, and Autumn Best as his youngest would-be victim, a doe-eyed teenage runaway who brings to mind a young Brooke Shields.

"Woman of the Hour" manages to blend the carefree humor of a young actress on a cheesy 1970s game show with the horror of true crime, allowing each their moment but never feeling tonally unbalanced. Flashing between the bright lights of a studio set and the more pared-down, almost muted sequences of Alcala's encounters with his victims, the film features an all-star cast with enough talent to avoid sensationalizing the material. Kendrick's directorial flair is on full display, and if this is an example of what she's capable of behind the camera, we can look forward to seeing what she does next.

"Woman of the Hour" premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, with a release date on Netflix still to be confirmed.

This piece was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn't exist.