After iconic performances in ‘Pitch Perfect’, ‘Twilight’, and ‘A Simple Favor’, Anna Kendrick has now released her next film and directorial debut, ‘Woman of the Hour’. Joining the ranks of ‘The Substance’ and ‘Blink Twice’ as a new, captivating, female-directed thriller tells the terrifying stories of victims of the “Dating Game Killer”.
Set in the 1970s, it features the decade’s iconic fashion, free-spiritedness, and, unfortunately, misogyny. The movie retells the story of the “Dating Game Killer” and his victims. Contrary to many movies in the true crime genre, it does so without sensationalizing or obsessing over the murderer, but by showcasing his victims and their stories. As we follow the victims Sarah, Amy, Charlie, and Cheryl Bradshaw, we learn how misogyny in the decade aided the killer in committing his crimes. Cheryl Bradshaw, portrayed by Anna Kendrick, is an aspiring young actress who, hoping to advance her career, goes on the dating show “The Dating Game”. Here, she must decide between three eligible bachelors, one of them called Rodney Alcala. Persuaded by his witty responses, she chooses Rodney as the winner, who invites her for drinks after the show. While the date starts off pleasant, Bradshaw quickly senses a “creepy” vibe from Alcala and tries ending the date as quickly as possible. In a chilling parking lot scene, Alcala follows and traps Bradshaw. Only by a stroke of luck is she able to escape him. Unfortunately, his other victims were not so lucky. Following the murders of Sarah and Charlie, we follow the story of Amy, a teenage runaway, who encounters Alcala and is violently raped by him. She manages to escape by pretending to forgive him for his assault and asks him to “keep it a secret”. At a gas station, she is able to escape his car and notify the cops, leading to his arrest.
While the movie ends at this point, we sadly learn that this is not where his murder spree ended. After being arrested, he was released on bail, enabling him to commit two further murders, until finally being arrested and held without bail in July of 1979.
Initially convicted for five murders, some authorities now estimate that the real Rodney Alcala could be responsible for up to 130 deaths in the time leading up to his last arrest. While many victims’ families could never get clarity on what happened to their loved ones, his latest identified victim was found in 2015. Kathy Thornton, whose sister had vanished in 1977, looked through Alcala’s newly published camera roll and was able to identify her sister in one of the photos. Alcala used to lure in his victims by photographing them, before violently raping and strangling them. He liked to “toy” with his victims, prosecutors say, by resuscitating them after he strangled them, sometimes repeating this process several times. In 1978, he actually appeared on the former dating show “The Dating Game”, hence his nickname. The real footage of this episode can still be viewed on YouTube. Contrary to the movie, Bradshaw did not go on a date with him but was quickly “creeped out” by him after a backstage conversation. A gut feeling that likely saved her life. Unbeknownst to her and the viewers of the show, Alcala had already killed two women and raped an 8-year-old girl by this point. Even though he was a registered sex offender, the showrunners did not conduct background checks and allowed him to appear on the show.
What makes Kendrick’s retelling of the story stand out is her focus on the victims and the women of this story. Too often in the true-crime genre are the perpetrators glorified, obsessed over and too little respect is paid to their victims. Her film depicts how misogyny enabled the “Dating Game Killer” to roam free and brutally murder so many women. In the film, we witness how women try to ask other men or the police for help, but are not taken seriously and even poked fun at. Alcala was so confident that the authorities would not catch him, that he could even go on a nationally televised dating show, shamelessly flaunting himself to the world. Further, the movie does a phenomenal job of depicting women’s fear in situations that suddenly turn dark. Whether in a dark parking lot, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, or the supposed safety of our own home, she perfectly captures how women always have to be wary, knowing their lives could be at stake in an instant. The movie did not require sinister music, jumpscares or the like, the fear in the victims’ eyes once they realize something really bad is about to happen was chilling enough.
Anna Kendrick’s movie does not only stand out due to centering women but also by her treatment of the topic. Upon realizing how much money she would make off the movie, she reported profiting off these stories would make her feel “gross”. Instead, she decided to donate her share of the profits to two charities advocating against sexual violence.
While “Woman of the Hour” is not a particular “grab your friends and wear your florals” type of movie, it is a captivating depiction of real women’s horrifying stories, showing how misogyny allowed a killer to roam free, without sensationalizing women’s pain for profit. It truly stands out as a true crime depiction and I am excited to see what Anna Kendrick does next.