The most interesting true crime stories are those in which a killer is someone the average person wouldn’t expect. They’re the relatable, charming person one could imagine seeing on television, perhaps a game show. Not knowing a person has a darkness hidden inside them makes these stories as alluring as they are dour and tragic.
Woman of the Hour (2024) explores the true story of a woman who appeared on a romantic game show in the 1970s called The Dating Game (1965-1986) and unknowingly picked the man who would become known as “The Dating Game Killer” to be her date.
Directed by and starring Anna Kendrick in her directorial debut, Woman of the Hour primarily follows Cheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick). Cheryl is a down-on-her-luck actress living in Los Angeles, looking to make her big break. When her agent sets her up an opportunity to appear on the popular The Dating Game, Cheryl sees it as an opportunity to get noticed and potentially land more parts as an actress.
Simultaneously, the film often flashes to Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), as viewers see some of the past events in his life leading to his fated appearance on The Dating Game.
Woman of the Hour begins with one such flashback which sees Rodney talking with a woman (Kelly Jakle) in the California desert as he takes photos of her. The conversation appears innocent enough as the woman talks about her background and the events that led her to this moment. As she talks with Rodney, viewers see him looking genuinely interested in her story and saddened by the things she confesses to him. The woman even compliments Rodney on how great of a listener he is. This conveys the unsuspecting characteristic one may naturally exhibit when interacting with Rodney. He’s charismatic, charming, and a good listener. It’s not until he prepares to act on his inner urges that he embodies the killer he truly is.
In certain scenes like this prologue, it feels like Rodney transforms, going from the costume of an innocent person he wears on the outside to the violent disturbed individual he is within. Zovatto’s performance portrays this unsettlingly well, almost appearing to lose the life in his eyes, revealing Rodney’s true face.
The idea of the horrors that hide beneath the surface of certain men is exactly what Kendrick and writer Ian McDonald largely comment on throughout the film as Cheryl has endless toxic interactions with nearly every man she meets. These men aren’t hiding who they really are and display it outright in frankly disgusting exchanges that Cheryl feels like she must laugh through or forgive because she is a woman. Although the commentary at times feels over the top and heavy-handed, it seems to be a fair representation of what sexist gender dynamics were like in the 1970s and discouragingly continues to be today even if it’s not quite as overt.
Once on The Dating Show, Cheryl isn’t treated with a modicum of respect by the show’s host and is forced to ask degrading questions to the contestants that would make any respectable individual groan in disbelief by today’s standards. When Cheryl eventually takes control of the narrative and shows the audience who the two men really are and the toxic views they have of women. It’s an empowering moment that sees Kendrick at her most charismatic. Cheryl then becomes drawn further to Rodney, the only one able to answer her questions agreeably.
As the show transpires, Laura (Nicolette Robinson), who recognizes Rodney, works behind the scenes to try to bring her friend’s murderer to justice. The frustration we feel for Laura, despite being set 50 years ago, is an upsetting narrative we know all too well – having to advocate constantly for victims. Laura’s circumstances add an extra layer of tension to the plot as a ticking clock element is incorporated into the simultaneous events of the show.
This all leads into the third act of Woman of the Hour, in which the stakes and tension are wound up to their most extreme, building to the most tense scene in the film. In an interaction between Cheryl and Rodney following the show’s conclusion, the screenplay, direction, and performances fire at all cylinders. Kendrick spotlights her full potential as a director, crafting suspenseful blocking as the characters converse in a shadowy parking lot outside the television studio. It’s an effective moment that leaves goosebumps long after it concludes.
Some of the film’s best moments are heightened by its score from composers Dan Romer and Mike Tuccillo. Their work is largely understated and primarily acts as a tone-setter to various scenes. However, when the score is permitted to stand out, it adds another element of intrigue that draws viewers’ attention further in a scene, heightening it rather than serving as window dressing.
Woman of the Hour ends with an interaction between Rodney and Amy (Autumn Best), one of his supposed victims whom the audience meets for the first time earlier in the film. The tragedy is most apparent within this subplot and Kendrick utilizes the opportunity to display the full range of Zovatto’s performance, highlighting Rodney’s monstrously disturbed nature.
She also further demonstrates the importance of this story, illustrating how society’s views and treatment of women must be changed to reflect more respect and less toxicity. If it had happened sooner, perhaps the mere possibility of Rodney being acquitted after 31 years in prison would have been completely out of the question. The distressing truth of the matter is that women still struggle to overcome tragedies like the ones represented in this film today. This is why it is ever so important that this particular story is told directly from a female voice in that of Kendrick. The more representations audiences see of stories like this, no matter how devastating, the closer we’ll get to a day when victims’ stories won’t be so difficult to believe and directly act upon.
Woman of the Hour is an excellently directed debut from Kendrick that emphasizes the tragedy behind its story in a way other filmmakers might not have by underlining the experience of the women directly involved. It’s a satisfying thriller that’s as intense as it is significantly insightful.
Review Courtesy of Evan Miller
Feature Image Credit to Netflix via Rolling Stone