Woman of the Hour
In 1978, Rodney Alcala was a contestant on a US television game show, The Dating Game, where he “won” a date with another guest, Cheryl Bradshaw. But Alcala was a serial killer who had murdered five women, and had already served two prison sentences for child molestation. This appalling true-crime story is the subject of Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman Of The Hour. Kendrick herself plays Bradshaw, who puts up with all manner of sexist and predatory behaviour as an aspiring actress in Los Angeles before she encounters the “Dating Game Killer” (Daniel Zovatto). “A charming, kitschy 70s-set exploration of gender dynamics quickly gives way to an unnerving, suspenseful stranger-than-fiction tale,” says Meagan Navarro at Bloody Disgusting. “Kendrick’s incisive vision, blending horror and humour with nonlinear storytelling, makes for an authentic, poignant and unsettling debut.”
Released on 18 October on Netflix internationally
