It might feel like we already know every story about a famous serial killer, but Netflix’s latest acquisition proves there’s still plenty of grisly crime to get stuck into.
From first-time director Anna Kendrick, Woman of the Hour has been billed as a fact-based thriller that follows renowned serial killer Rodney Alcala when he appeared on The Dating Game and won.
Later convicted of killing 7 women throughout the 1970s, hosts of the show were unaware that Alcala had already killed at least 5 of his victims before securing his TV debut.
With Netflix buying the film for around $11 million after its premiere at Toronto International Film Festival, many are in agreement that the story itself already sounds “crazy.”
Netflix’s latest movie looks at serial killer on a dating show
Fans of Anna Kendrick will know that she has not shied away from mystery thanks to films like A Simple Favor, but her directorial debut marks the first time she’s blurred the lines with true crime.
Woman of the Hour follows a young woman who wins a date on The Dating Game with a man who actually turns out to be killer Rodney Alcala. Though Cheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick) chose Alcala to go on a date with, his behavior was considered to be so creepy that Bradshaw never went through with the date.
Netflix has acquired Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut ‘Woman of the Hour’ for $11 million. https://t.co/32P3dkoLlo
— The Film Stage 📽 (@TheFilmStage) September 11, 2023
Speaking to ABC, contestant coordinator Ellen Metzger shares how Bradshaw quickly felt uncomfortable after the show.
“She said, ‘Ellen, I can’t go out with this guy. There’s weird vibes that are coming off of him. He’s very strange. I am not comfortable. Is that going to be a problem?’ And of course, I said, ‘No.’”
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“He had a mystique about him that I found uncomfortable,” agreed executive producer Mike Metzger.
Though Alcala was thought to convict between 7-8 women for certain, later reports concluded that the real victim count could be as high as 130.
Fans are already hotly anticipating Woman of the Hour
Though the wider release of Woman of the Hour is currently known, TIFF audiences are already hailing the film as “chilling and impactful.”
“Woman of the Hour chooses to focus less on the killings and more on the conversations before they happen,” one viewer describes. “As a result, it’s not just about a serial killer but also about the terror women navigate through and how their fears are often ignored. Anna Kendrick can f**king direct.”
“Anna Kendrick crafts a disturbing directorial debut with WOMAN OF THE HOUR,” another agrees. “Daniel Zovattov is terrifying as the real-life serial killer of women who appeared on a dating game show in the 1970s. A chilling & impactful examination of misogyny, sexism & violence towards women.”
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