Woman of the Hour

Starring
Anna Kendrick (as Cheryl Bradshaw) Daniel Zovatto (as Rodney Alcala) Nicolette Robinson (as Laura) Tony Hale (as Ed Burke) {based on Jim Lange} Pete Holmes (as Terry) Autumn Best (as Amy) {based on "Monique Hoyt"} Kathryn Gallagher {as Charlie} Kelley Jakle {as Sarah} Matt Visser {as Bachelor #1} Jedidah Goodacre {as Bachelor #2} Jessie Fraser {as Lisa} Taylor Hastings {as Melanie} Dylan Schmid {as Mario} Max Lloyd-Jones {as Ken} Jessica Shaffin {as Helen} Darcy Laurie {as Marty}
Director
Anna Kendrick
Release Dates
TIFF: September 8, 2023 Netflix: October 18, 2024
Packagers
AGC Studios Vertigo Entertainment BoulderLight Pictures
Distributor
Netflix

Woman of the Hour was a true crime thriller film that was based on a true story where an aspiring actress named Cheryl Bradshaw crosses paths with a prolific serial killer named Rodney Alcala in '70s Los Angeles when they're both cast on an episode of The Dating Game.

Plot[]

In 1977 Wyoming, serial killer Rodney Alcala takes photos of a woman in the plains. After he gets the woman to open up about her painful breakup with an ex-boyfriend. He strangles her. He revives her, then strangles her to death again. In 1979, in the city of San Gabriel, Amy is a young runaway who lives on the streets and steals occasionally. Alcala spots her sitting at a motel and claims that he can takes photos of her and she can launch a career as a model. She agrees to accompany him as he drives to an isolated location. In a desert during sunset, Alcala proceeds to photograph Amy, then ambushes her. In 1971 New York City, Charlie is a flight attendant who is moving into a new apartment. She sees Alcala taking photos across the street and asks him to help her move furniture into her home. After helping her. Alcala assaults and kills Charlie.

In 1978 Los Angeles, Cheryl Bradshaw is an aspiring actress going on auditions. Her agent Helen coaxes her to appear as a contestant on the tv show The Dating Game, telling her it might lead to her big break. Bradshaw thinks going on the show is beneath her, but her friend Terry reasons it is a good opportunity for the workaholic Cheryl to meet potential suitors. She shows up at the studio to film the episode and is prepped to go on camera. The show goes live and the three bachelors, who are hidden from Bradshaw's view behind a partition, are displayed to the camera. Bachelor #3 is revealed to be Alcala.

Laura, a member of the audience, recognizes Alcala as the man she saw with her friend Alison, who was later found murdered at the beach. Uncomfortable, she goes to her car and tells her boyfriend Ken her suspicions about Bachelor #3, but he dismisses her concerns, reassuring her she could be mistaken and that the contestants are likely vetted by producers. She goes to the security guard on the show and asks if she can speak to a producer, but he falsely directs her to the janitor instead.

As the show goes on, Bradshaw decides to go off-script because she feels the written questions that she is supposed to ask the bachelors are sexist and insulting. She asks tougher questions, dropping names like Einstein and Kant and asking for the difference between a boy and a man. Alcala is able to make a good impression after the first two bumbling bachelors, and he ends up winning the "date", with the prize being tickets to visit Carmel with Cheryl.

After the filming, Alcala takes Bradshaw out for drinks. He tries to ingratiate himself to her by showing familiarity with plays she talks about, but he also makes her uneasy by requesting more drinks. When Bradshaw walks backs to her car at the studio, Alcala insists on walking with her. He asks for her number but realizes it is fake. When he threateningly whispers at her, she anxiously races to get inside her car and is nearly attacked by Alcala in the deserted parking lot. At this point, however, a group of people exit the studio, Alcala walks away, and she manages to escape.

Back in 1979 San Gabriel, a bound, bloodied, partially nude Amy wakes up in the desert next to Alcala. Alcala is crying, and Amy acts as if she is embarrassed by the situation to get him to trust her. She convinces him to remove her restraints and go back to his place. When they stop at a gas station, she runs away. Cops appear as they arrest Alcala.

A postscript states that after Alcala's arrest, he was released on bail while awaiting trial, after which he murdered a woman and a young girl. He was rearrested in 1979. In 2010, he had a chance at acquittal, but the runaway, now an adult, testified against him. Sometime after her appearance on The Dating Game, Cheryl left California in order to live a very private life and raise a family. Alcala died in prison.

Production[]

In December 2017, Ian MacAllister McDonald's screenplay Rodney and Sheryl was featured on the Black List, an annual survey of the most popular scripts yet to be produced. In May 2021, Netflix announced it had bought a package around McDonald's script with Chloe Okuno on board as director and Anna Kendrick attached to star. In April 2022, with Netflix no longer attached, the film was sold at the Cannes Film Festival. It was revealed that Kendrick was now on board as director and producer as well as appearing as Cheryl Bradshaw, with the working title of the project now The Dating Game. In December 2022, a producer sued another producer for alleged fraud and breach of contract; The Dating Game was one of three films mentioned in the lawsuit.

Principal photography took place in Vancouver with Zach Kuperstein as cinematographer from October to December 2022.

Release[]

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 8, 2023, with Kendrick and the cast unable to attend due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Shortly after, Netflix, which was to distribute the film worldwide early in its development, reacquired distribution rights to the United States as well as some international territories for $11 million. The film was released on the streamer on October 18, 2024.

Critical Response[]

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 93 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "Deftly directed by star Anna Kendrick, Woman of the Hour uses and incredible true story as the foundation for a powerful examination of the intersection between systemic misogyny and violence". Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 74 out of 100, based on 23 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Accolades[]

In 2024, Anna Kendrick won the Palm Springs International Film Festival award for "Directors to Watch".

Trivia[]

Before this film, Kendrick was once known to star in the musical film franchise Pitch Perfect as her character named Beca.
This was Anna Kendrick's first directorial debut.

Links[]

TIFF site
Netflix site