A One Mann’s Movies review of “Woman of the Hour” (2024).
“Woman of the Hour” is Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut and currently streaming on Netflix. It’s a serial killer thriller based on the true case of Rodney Alcala, a prolific mass-murderer in the US of the 1970’s.
Bob the Movie Man Rating:
“Woman of the Hour” Plot Summary:
Based on a grim true story, Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) roams around the US killing women without ever being caught. In 1978, with an excess of chutzpah, he appears as a contestant on the game show “The Dating Game” (a US version of “Blind Date”) where Sheryl (Anna Kendrick) is the girl picking the eligible batchelor.
Certification:
UK: 15; US: R. (From the BBFC web site: “Strong threat, sexual threat, very strong language”).
Talent:
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Daniel Zovatto, Nicolette Robinson, Pete Holmes, Autumn Best, Kathryn Gallagher, Kelley Jakle, Karen Holness.
Directed by: Anna Kendrick.
Written by: Ian McDonald.
Running Time: 1h 35m.
“Woman of the Hour” Summary:
Positives:
- Well acted especially by Anna Kendrick.
- All of the ‘attacks’ were sensitively handled on screen.
Negatives:
- I never felt we got to really know what made Alcona tick: there was little backstory to him.
- Sheryl’s story, while a fascinating event, is a bit “so what” in the end.
Review of “Woman of the Hour”:
A fascinating example of ego over common sense.
Why, if you were a mass murderer leaving behind a slew of potential witnesses, would you plaster your face onto a syndicated game show? It’s perhaps the most fascinating aspect of this film. The actual gameshow scenes in here are quite fun. Sheryl (Anna Kendrick) ditches the request of the slimy host Ed (Tony Hale) to effectively be a bimbo…. he wants her to “laugh and smile over and over”. Instead, Sheryl asks fiendishly intelligent questions that bamboozle poor old Contestent number 1 (Matt Visser)!
While there is some tension to the finale of Sheryl’s story, it ended as a bit of a damp squib, becoming just another episode in what is a pretty episodic film.
Flexible timeline
One thing the film does well is keep you on your toes about where and when you are. We see various victims of Alcala but not in a chronological order and intercut with each other. There’s tension in here in the fact that you don’t know how and when each woman will be attacked… you just know it’s coming.
When the attacks do happen, they are done quite sensitively, without gratuitous nudity or sexual detail. This is no rape-porn flick, thank God.
Why did he do it?
There is some discussion about Alcona’s Dad leaving him at an early age. But we never really get to understand any motivation behind the murders: they are presented as matter of fact attacks. I felt we needed either some earlier scenes of Alcona’s life in there or some courtroom analysis at the end to fill in some of the blanks. It doesn’t feel a very satisfying film in that regard.
Fiction and Fact. Anna Kendrick as Sheryl and Daniel Zovatto as Rodney with their real life counterparts in the game show of 1978. The true story is documented here. (Source: ladbible.com)
Triggers
Obviously, given the subject matter, there are scenes of sexual violence.
Summary Thoughts on “Woman of the Hour”
This is a decent “ironing film” – indeed, I was doing the ironing while watching it. As a first directorial effort from Kendrick, it’s a decent film without really setting my world on fire.
Where to Watch it (Powered by Justwatch)
Trailer for “Woman of the Hour”:
The trailer is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODUdpwddTQk.
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