S Poddar
Woman of the Hour is a chilling story taking place in Los Angeles in 1978 as it unfolds the life of Sheryl Bradshaw, played by Anna Kendrick, an unnamed struggling actor who finds an opportunity to star on a hot new dating show. Little does she know that the bachelor she will be interacting with, Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), is a serial killer who has already taken the lives of five women, and who will continue to do so.
The movie raises questions about how Sheryl will perceive him and what might play out between them.
Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, is much more than just a true-crime thriller. Instead, it explores a gripping crime in which the crimes were just shocking enough, placing us in the timeframe when Rodney Alcala made an appearance on The Dating Game during his killing spree. The premise alone sounds like it belongs on some sensational podcast, but Kendrick’s work is far from exploitative or sensational. Her film opens one’s eyes not only to the light superficial world of television production but also to the deeper psychological games Alcala played in how easy he could manipulate those around him with charm and his ability to mask his true intentions.
This is not an attempt to glamourize violence but a sharp critique of society overstepping the voices of those it most disregards, especially women. What Kendrick does instead is turn the story from the graphic detail of Alcala’s crimes to those affected by him. Thus, front and center are women who met Alcala-be they suspecting him, trusting him, or reporting him. This is a cool reminder that this is the story not only of the monster but also of those whose life is forever changed by his actions.
Kendrick is both mesmerizing and wound up tight as Sheryl Bradshaw. For the record, he’s probably best known for his more comedic films in Pitch Perfect. Here, he shows a previously unseen depth. As Sheryl, he knows far more than he needs to about everything around him, tiptoeing through the minefield between being noticed and being observed. Tension builds scene by scene, with the viewer, like Sheryl, waiting for terrible things to occur. There is a relief of some sort when the movie doesn’t present before you the violence you expect at some points. That, in itself, was a very deliberate choice that really adds so much weight to the film’s message.
Daniel Zovatto fails somewhat in matching the intensity of Kendrick, though. While Zovatto’s characterization lacks the charismatic menace usually given to real-life killers depicted on screen-think Zac Efron in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile-this might be conscious. Alcala’s flatness in the film underscores the fact that the story really isn’t about him. Woman of the Hour will be a tribute to those women hurt by his actions, a reflection of what strength they continue to possess in the face of evil and evil with human faces.
Kendrick’s talent as a director shines because she really maintains the mood of the film so carefully. At the same time, she walks the thin line between the attraction of being in the news and the inherent danger that lies with it. The film was thoughtful, not only in terms of subject matter but also in terms of execution: it is more restrained and introspective than its imitators. It refuses to fall into the serial killer-horror movie hall-of-fame trap. It is not a punchy thrill ride, but it haunts the mind long after credits roll. It leaves more than enough to get you thinking about trust, manipulation, and the vulnerable women in a world which would easily fail to protect them.
Woman of the Hour is not so much a suspense thriller as it is the thoughtful deconstruction of genre expectations. It doesn’t rely on cheap thrills or gratuitous violence, but quiet tension that builds between the characters. Director Kendrick has only made her debut, and it already shows a lot of sense of purpose and direction. The antagonist of the film is not as compelling as one might like him to be, but he serves a broader thematic goal: namely to show that this is not a story about some kind of killer, but rather about acknowledging the lives taken by this killer.
In the final measure, Woman of the Hour is a significant film. It reminds us that sometimes the greatest horrors are not the monsters seen in films but ordinary people who are capable of monstrous acts. Kendrick made a thoughtful, intelligent film that really hangs well, for it didn’t focus on the killer but on letting those who were ignored have their say. Her directorial debut shows she can tackle complex material with care and nuance and Woman of the Hour is a film worth seeing and worth reflecting upon.
