Anna Kendrick directs and stars in the film ‘Woman of the hour’ which follows the story of the real life serial killer Rodney Alcala as he appears on a dating show in the middle of his killing spree. A terrifying, true story that shows the horrors that men and women faced in the 1970’s.
I was looking forward to this film being released on Netflix as I’m a fan of Anna Kendrick’s films, from Twilight and Pitch Perfect to A Simple Favour. She always brings something special to the screen and excels with eerie humour. What was more exciting is that she direct this movie.
In all honesty, the film wasn’t particularly captivating. It’s not what I expected, especially after watching other similar themed shows and films. You never see any real gore, but all of the violence is clearly indicated within the scenes. Personally, I think that’s a great choice and makes this film stand out. There are some very heavy stories, and it’s enough to understand what happened rather than watch it. After all, these are real stories and it feels respectful to the victims.
By far, the best scene in the entire film is the one where Cheryl and Rodney are walking through a dimly lit car park after the date. It’s simple but incredibly effective and is a testament to Kendrick’s directing abilities. If you don’t know the story, then it’s impossible to tell what is about to happen. The silence and the lighting put the viewer on edge as if it were you in that car park. We as the viewer, also know what Rodney is capable of, whereas Cheryl does not.
Another fantastic scene is toward the end when one of victims (Amy) escapes from the car. Again, beautifully shot and we aren’t sure what will happen or how it will end (unless you know the true story). Everything is done in a subtle manner that keeps us guessing. After all, it is a thriller.
When reviewing a film based on a true story, it becomes challenging to separate the two. I don’t know enough about the case to be able to discuss the actual story, nor is that entirely relevant when reviewing a film. I suppose, it’s more about how well the movie tells the story.
As I said, it’s not very captivating and I think part of that is because of the time jumps. You aren’t following Rodney’s movements chronologically and that makes it less thrilling. We know coming into this movie that he is a serial killer. Therefore, when it is a random scene, we know that they are likely to be a victim. Especially after the first scene of the movie.
Anna Kendrick’s character actually didn’t feel that important to the story which was surprising. She was important because she was on the dating show but that’s it. She portrayed the character perfectly and also gave some indication of how we should behave if we believe someone is dangerous. The best scene in the movie is with her, but because that’s used in the trailer, it feels like there is less suspense.
However, that being said, after reading the information about Rodney Alcala, I think that the movie did a fantastic job at giving us pretty much all of the facts. There is a side story that the friend of a victim tried reporting him to the police and they weren’t interested. I was shocked to find out this is true. That multiple people reported him and even after being arrested, he was released and during his release, he murdered more people.
The title cards at the end of the movie also round up the story well so that you have the full picture. There aren’t questions that are left unanswered. The movie also leaves you with a slight sense of hope that this wouldn’t happen again. That things have changed in the world and people are more able to keep themselves safe.
Overall, it’s worth a watch if you are interested in true crime. It’s a truly, horrific story but it’s told in a tasteful way.
My Rating - 6/10
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