Woman of the Hour - Film Review

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In 1978 aspiring actress Sheryl Bradshaw is persuaded by her agent to appear as a contestant on the TV show, The Dating Game. Little does she know that Bachelor Number 3 is the prolific serial killer, Rodney Alcala. Meanwhile, a woman named Laura, in the studio audience, recognises Alcala as the man she saw with her friend, who was later found murdered and tries to warn the studio about him.

Woman of the Hour (2023) is the impressive directorial debut of Anna Kendrick (from Pitch Perfect and A Small Favour%%), who also starred as Sheryl. It is based on the true story of a serial killer who appeared in the Dating Game before going on to murder more women. It may be considered a spoiler, but I felt better about watching the movie knowing that Alcala was eventually caught and died in prison.

I don't usually go in for true crime movies, but this one was tastefully done. Instead of glorifying the killer, it focused on the courage and resourcefulness of his victims, especially Amy (Autumn Best), the young runaway who was attacked by Alcala in 1979, after his appearance on the show. It also shows how the ubiquitous casual misogyny that surrounded the women helped Alcala to get away with murder for so long.

Woman of the Hour is an intense thriller with a satisfying ending. I hope that this is just the start of a new career in directing for Kendrick.



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