Woman of the Hour review
Who would have thought that California was victim to a major serial killer asidefrom the infamous Zodiac Killer, rampaging throughout the 1960s and 70s? The new true crime thriller featuring Anna Kendrick as director, Ian McDonald’s screenplay and Daniel Zovatto’s acting comes to life like a Holy Trinity. Rather than telling the story of another serial killer and satisfying the cravings of true crime enthusiasts, Woman of the Hour lays out the social reality of 1970s America offering the viewers a glimpse of the ill-conceived norms and practices that resulted in the appearance of a serial killer on national TV.
Building on her over two decades experience in the film and drama industry, Kendrick makes her directorial debut while also playing the central character Sheryl Bradshaw. The film is based on the story of a meeting between convicted serial killer and sexual offender Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto) and Sheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick) on The Dating Game show in September 1978. The story that has popped up in just about every true crime podcast, now presents the angle of women’s lived experience in a society dominated by men in the $11 million film.
Unfolding like a jigsaw puzzle, the plot has a central storyline of prospective actress Sheryl Bradshaw that flows chronologically towards meeting Alcala on the show. Bradshaw’s story is one of many it’s-not-working-out-for-me-here-in-LA cases as she eventually agrees to come on the dating show to boost her visibility. As tiring as this wannabe-actress narrative gets, it enables McDonald to jump around in time and perspectives, giving the viewers a taste of Alcala’s actions intertwined with stories of several female characters later assaulted or murdered by the killer. McDonald’s efficiently built mosaic not only manages to make the pieces fall smoothly into place, leaving none of them hanging, but also tackles themes such as sexism, misogyny or dysfunctional public safety authorities, all within the 95-minute screen time.
The spotlight in terms of performance rests on Costa Rican actor Daniel Zovatto. With his experience from horror films like It Follows or Don’t Breathe and more recent thriller TV series Station Eleven, Zovatto possesses just the right amount of darkness and creepiness to handle the role of Alcala. His precisely delivered acting is centred around his facial expressions that capture the seeming innocence but inner twisted nature of his character and makes the viewer despise both the actor and Alcala by the end of the screening.
While Kendrick’s performance does the job without standing out, the same cannot be said for her directing. The empty parking lot scene, where Sheryl says goodbye to Alcala after their date, is featured as one of the film’s trailers and is just a starter of what Kendrick serves in the film. Choose from a menu of authentic depictions of fear tightening its grip as a woman walks home through an abandoned area, the animal-like sharpening of her senses, and the run-or-die state of mind. She conveys every woman’s nightmare with chillingly precise detail in scenes like these, rather than overdoing brutality in disturbing scenes. In a world where detailed descriptions of gender-based violence are wherever we turn, she understands that there is absolutely no need to excessively depict brutality in these scenes. Instead, Kendrick lets the audience witness them from unexpected perspectives, successfully avoiding over-sensationalism of the crimes. What further makes those scenes striking is the interplay of sound and silence. The high-pitched screams or chokes are often followed by the ambient noise of the setting or the deafening silence, which eventually creates a louder and long-lasting impact on the viewer.
“Bachelor number one, what are girls for?” Kendrick’s character Sheryl asks instead of the pandering scripted question. This feminist revolt is one of several instances where female characters stand up against the misogynistic authorities. Although this aspect may resonate with today’s progressive audiences, it ultimately tarnishes the carefully crafted 1970s feel.
Woman of the Hour, marked with Kendrick’s distinctly female touch in the best possible sense and Zovatto’s compelling portrayal of Alcala’s character, lives to tell the tale of true crime thrillers reinvented to terrify in ways beyond the violence-based tropes of the genre.
Woman of the Hour premiered last year at Toronto International Film Festival and is now streaming on Netflix
