Review: 'Woman of the Hour' Isn't Like Other Thriller Movies

Calling all my spooky, true-crime-loving girls—you don’t want to miss this one. In true spooky season fashion, Woman of the Hour shot to the #1 spot in movies on Netflix over the past week. As a true crime lover at her peak right now, I knew I had to watch the film as soon as it dropped, and it did not disappoint.

Woman of the Hour, a thriller drama starring Anna Kendrick, follows a struggling Hollywood actress named Cheryl who goes on a dating show as a last-ditch effort to kick-start her career. While on the show, she matches with a serial killer—but she has no idea. The film is based on the true story of Cheryl Bradshaw, which adds an extra layer of intrigue to the already intense plot.

This film is also Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, and the dialogue and relationship dynamics truly have that female director touch that pushed my feelings about this film from intrigue to obsession. This is a must-watch for those who love all things true crime and serial killers (are we OK, honestly?). Ahead, I’m breaking down some of the highest-quality aspects of the movie and why it deserves all the hype it’s getting.

Where to watch: Netflix Woman of the Hour hooked me right from the start

As a self-proclaimed expert in the horror and thriller genre, I’m familiar with the typical chain of events that make up the most popular films in the category. Life for the main character is usually “normal” before ghosts, demons, or serial killers take center stage. But Woman of the Hour threw out any of that “normal life” preface to the story and dove straight into the action. The opening scene, which featured an eerie and uncomfortable strangling event, had me sitting up a little straighter and turning my undivided attention to the story before me.

The acting made Woman of the Hour even scarier

Played by Daniel Zovatto, the antagonist in this film is Rodney Alcala, a photographer and smooth talker who “always gets the girl,” as he says during the dating show. It can’t be easy to portray a character this evil, but Zovatto absolutely nailed the creepy and unsettling persona of a serial killer. The way he shifted from the suave guy who seemed completely normal into a monster with no compassion in his eyes was flawless. It felt so realistic and eerie, and I couldn’t stop watching.

We all know and love Anna Kendrick as an actress, and she absolutely delivers in this film opposite Zovatto. She’s strong in the face of terrifying situations, but Kendrick plays Cheryl as more than a footnote in the story of a horrible serial killer. Kendrick’s Cheryl is intelligent and willing to fight tooth and nail for her survival. Together, Kendrick and Zovatto pull off a brilliant performance of a serial killer and his next potential victim.

The women in the movie have survival instincts

In any given horror or thriller movie, I’m always frustrated by the fact that the characters, particularly female characters, display few survival instincts. Because, no, you probably shouldn’t go off into the dark to explore that weird sound, all by yourself. What I appreciated most about the female characters in Woman of the Hour is that they all carried very realistic survival instincts.

Throughout the movie, various women react to Rodney’s shift in behavior—once they realize that he’s a creep, they do whatever it takes to get out of the situation. After Cheryl matches with Rodney on the dating show, he takes her out for drinks afterward. As the date progresses and Rodney starts acting unsettling, Cheryl immediately tries to wrap things up. She gives him a fake phone number and proceeds to have a terrifying walk (basically a chase scene) to her car.

Now, typically, what would follow next is Cheryl living in fear of this killer finding her after their encounter. But in an all-time iconic “victim” move, she moves out of state immediately to live a quiet life and raise a family—and Cheryl never appears on-screen again. This not-so-typical twist was so refreshing and realistic; it had me and my roommate nearly clapping at the TV—we were so proud.

The movie left me wanting more—in a good way

At first, I was frustrated that the film ended so quickly. I said, “That’s it?!” multiple times. With so many stories across different years flashing in and out, each victim’s time ended abruptly, and even Cheryl’s time with Rodney was brief. I wondered why Kendrick didn’t show anything after Rodney’s arrest and why Cheryl’s moment on screen was so short.

However, I eventually realized that each vignette in Woman of the Hour was super short for a very specific reason. The epilogue text at the end of the film stated that Alcala was only convicted of seven murders, despite his assumed number of victims being in the hundreds. This film, which felt so short, was a perfect representation of the minuscule portion of the murders that Alcala actually received punishment for. Personally, I think this was a genius move from Kendrick. I can’t wait to see what she does next as a director.

With all of these aspects of this film together, I can see this movie being talked about in film classes for years to come, and it will likely remain a favorite of mine for quite some time. If you’re also ready to yap about a new film to your fellow true crime girlies, you need to add Woman of the Hour to your watchlist.

Where to watch: Netflix