Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut explores chilling true crime

The 2022 production "Woman of the Hour" did not see a theatrical release in the United States. The very good reviews from critics at the ceremonial premiere of the film at the Toronto festival were not enough. However, the shocking story of a serial killer is an enticing piece.

Oscar-nominated for her role in the film "Up in the Air," “Pitch Perfect” star Anna Kendrick has shown an interest in singing and acting from a young age. She debuted on Broadway when she was just 12 years old and appeared in her first film five years later. Thanks to the "Twilight" saga and the musical series "Pitch Perfect," she gained great popularity, but she did not want to be a typical Hollywood star. She was more interested in theatre and fulfilled herself in indie films. She also wanted to become a director.

Her dreams came true. In 2022, Kendrick began filming her first movie, "Woman of the Hour." The thriller tells the story of job-seeking actress Cheryl Bradshaw, who receives an offer to participate in the dating show The Dating Game. Lacking better offers, she accepts. During the program, the woman catches the eye of one of the three participants, who stands out with his charming demeanour and intelligent answers.

Anna Kendrick’s film is based on a true story, so it is no surprise that behind the charming exterior was a psychopathic killer. Rodney Alcala was the "dating game killer" or "Dating Game Killer." In 1978, he appeared on the popular TV show "The Dating Game," where he introduced himself as a successful photographer, skydiving, and motorcycle enthusiast. Cheryl Bradshaw ultimately did not go on a date with him. She claimed that after the show, the man seemed strange to her. She probably saved her life by doing so.

In 2010, Rodney Alcala was sentenced to death (the execution did not take place) for the abduction and murder of a 12-year-old girl and four young women in California. The crimes were committed in the late '70s and early '80s of the previous century. Alcala was also proven to have committed two other murders in New York earlier. However, investigators suspected that the number of his victims was much higher and could have exceeded even 100 people.

"Woman of the Hour, which premiered at TIFF before its Netflix acquisition, is an ambitious attempt to subvert true-crime genre expectations by giving voice to the survivors and victims of Alcala’s rampage. The film experiments with time jumps and perspective shifts to create an impressionistic portrait of the murders," wrote Lovia Gyarkye from "The Hollywood Reporter."