For decades, women have been getting slashed on screen, letting out shrill screams as they’re stabbed senselessly. Oftentimes, true crime documentaries and inspired works take a similar approach to horror movies, leaning heavily into the spectacle of these killers and their crimes. They either linger on crime scenes and the actual murders or focus on humanizing the killer and why he kills. It’s either a blood bath or a therapy session, and sometimes, somehow, both. But rarely has a film focused on the moment right before an attack, when a woman realizes she’s in a potentially dangerous situation with a man. The gut feeling she can’t shake—the sense of dread and hopelessness. It becomes a game of delaying an outburst, of hiding your fear to not trigger his temper. Play nice. Don’t be cold. Don’t make him angry. Smile. Laugh. But don’t seem too interested. Find any excuse to leave. Just don’t make him angry. This is a moment many women and girls have faced, with a friend, someone they barely know, a family member, or their very own partner. This moment is what Anna Kendrick explores in her directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, released on Netflix.
Loosely based on the real-life Dating Game killer, the thriller stars Anna Kendrick as Sheryl, an aspiring actress, and Daniel Zovatto as Rodney, a serial killer amid his killing spree. The two meet on The Dating Game, as Rodney competes with two other men to win a date with Sheryl. The film alternates between the show and Rodney’s previous interactions with his victims. The film critiques the misogynistic culture of the 1970s that allowed Rodney to terrorize women and girls for decades before locking him up. While only convicted of five counts of murder, his kill count is hypothesized to be in the hundreds. This same culture also allowed him to appear on a dating show, despite having a criminal record for sexual assault. The real Cheryl had canceled her date with Rodney after having one conversation with him, yet he somehow managed to slink through life, unnoticed and unpunished for decades. This film honors that gut instinct in women that is so often ignored and pushed to the side, and just the everyday anxiety that surrounds women when around men.
Known for her lighthearted musicals, Kendrick’s performance in Woman of the Hour displayed her acting range, handling suspense as skillfully as comedy. She’s charming in the classic Kenrick style yet able to capture Sheryl’s growing unease and fear when she’s around Rodney. Even in scenes where, on paper, it feels like nothing is happening, Kendrick delivers her lines and body language with subtle tension. Her directing is just as, if not more, impressive, especially considering she had stepped up for the job after the original director dropped out, six weeks before filming. Her deliberate and thoughtful use of framing and shots gave every scene a different emotion and feel. The violence portrayed never lingers or leans more into a spectacle. Kendrick was careful to use enough violence to get the point across but kept the camera far enough away or partially blocked from view. Daniel Zovatto perfectly encapsulated Rodney’s unsettling nature, while also balancing his charming nature that he used to manipulate those around him. Zovatto had subtle changes in his behavior, his voice, his eye contact, and the cadence of his voice that changed the meaning of his words. Both leads bounced off of the other’s performance perfectly with subtle body language that left the audience creeped out, even if nothing technically “scary” had happened. The ending was incredibly done and memorable, and the entire cast did a phenomenal job in their respective roles. While I enjoyed the film, the cuts between storylines felt jarring at times, and the ending felt abrupt and out of nowhere. If you’re looking for a thriller that will creep and linger in your mind this Halloween weekend, make sure to check out Woman of the Hour on Netflix.
Aya Kholi is a Contributing Writer for The College Reporter. Her email is akholi@fandm.edu