Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut, Woman of the Hour, is out now on Netflix, but is it worth the watch? The true crime/thriller follows aspiring actress Sheryl Bradshaw (Kendrick) as a contestant on The Dating Show, a popular show that first aired in 1965. Set in Los Angeles in 1978 (with frequent time-jumps/backs), Bradshaw is unaware that contestant number three is the then uncaught serial killer, Rodney Alcala (played wonderfully by Daniel Zovatto). The sadistic killer was suspicious to any woman he met yet invincible to capture from law enforcement. Between the past, present, and future, one fact rings true throughout the film: he should not have gotten away with all of this. As promising as Kendrick’s debut seems, the pacing and questionable writing make the film seem like a pastiche of a true crime documentary.
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