Woman of the Hour
Finding a date in LA can be murder
Anna Kendrick makes an impressive directorial debut in Woman of the Hour.
Sheryl (Anna Kendrick) is an aspiring actress who’s hoping to make it big in LA. It’s a common dream, and like many people who have that dream…she’s hitting a brick wall. Jobs are scarce, rejection is plentiful, and the reality of life in Los Angeles is starting to chip away at her dream.
Already contemplating tucking her tail between her legs and returning home, Sheryl decides to give her dreams one last shot. She agrees to appear on The Dating Game, a popular show in America that offers bachelors and bachelorettes a chance at love by interviewing three suitors who are behind a partition. The interviewer selects their preferred contestant and goes on a date, appearing on a later show to discuss how the date went.
Though she’s not looking for love, she is looking for exposure. If she appears on the dating game as a charming bachelorette, she might catch the eye of a producer or a casting director and finally get the chance she needs to start her career.
But her last chance at fame may also be her last chance at life, because unbeknownst to Sheryl, one of the contestants vying for a date with her is Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), a prolific serial killer.
Will Sheryl get her big break? Or will she gain infamy instead of fame?
The directorial debut of Kendrick, Woman of the Hour, is a tense, interesting film that centers the story of a serial killer on his victims. This is very much a film about how women are forced into dangerous positions (both literally and figuratively) and how uncaring society can be toward them in general.
By centering the women in a story about a serial killer, Kendrick offers up a rather unique perspective. This is not a movie about a man who terrorizes women, it’s a film about women who show bravery and resilience in the face of terrible conditions. The victim who survives Alcala is not only resourceful and quick thinking, but also able to use empathy (a trait usually dismissed as feminine) to outwit her attacker. She doesn’t beat him by overpowering him, she beats him by being able to see how broken his brain is and playing to his weaknesses. It’s a brilliant look at how women have evolved defenses in a world designed by men. Even Alcala’s victims who don’t make it are not seen as helpless; they fight to live. It’s an impressive feat for a first-time feature director.
But Kendrick isn’t just talented at framing a story, she also has a wonderful sense of pacing. As Sheryl slowly realizes the guy she’s at dinner with is a psycho, her demeanor shifts just slightly. It’s an excellent performance from Kendrick and a brilliant look at how women use appeasement and niceness to get out of worrying situations. Sheryl can sense she’s in danger, but she knows fleeing will make it worse. She’s stuck on this date, and she’ll have to find a way to escape without alerting the man in front of her that she knows she’s in danger.
The film also has some exceptional cinematography from Zach Kuperstein. There is a chase sequence in a dark parking lot that rivals scenes in any classic horror movie. The way Kuperstein plays with lights and shadows helps Kendrick create and ease tension as the film ticks along.
Woman of the Hour also captures some great acting. Kendrick is wonderful as an aspiring actress who is more focused on her career than finding love. Zovatto offers up a wonderful turn as Acala, imbuing him with an intensity that seems charming but quickly becomes off-putting. Their interactions are tense and fascinating.
And while anyone with a phone could certainly Google Alcala and find out what happens to Sheryl, the power of Woman of the Hour is found in its commitment to fleshing out the victims of Acala instead of lionizing a serial killer. Filled with powerful performances and gorgeous staging, this is a movie worth watching.
Verdict: A tense and interesting thriller makes for an excellent directorial debut from Kendrick.
Woman of the Hour is rated R and available on Netflix October 18.
