By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Anna Kendrick made a name for herself by starring in a series of classic films like Pitch Perfect and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Because of her affable “girl next door” quality, it has been difficult for some moviegoers to realize just how talented she truly is. As it turns out, Kendrick is just as skilled behind the camera as she is in front of it, and you can now watch her breathtaking directorial debut Woman of the Hour on Netflix.
A Terrifying True Story
Anna Kendrick’s debut film focuses on the grisly case of Rodney Alcala, a real serial killer who still made time to appear on The Dating Game in 1978 while in the midst of his gruesome killings. In an interesting filmmaking choice, Woman of the Hour is split between telling the bloody, episodic adventures of Alcala and the more straightforward story of an aspiring actress who thinks going on a national game show will improve her career prospects. Unfortunately, this puts her on a collision course with Alcala, a contestant whose growing body count proves that everyone in his path is a potential target.
As you might expect, Anna Kendrick stars in her own film, playing the role of the wannabe actress whose career ambitions bring her face to face with the killer, who is ably played by Daniel Zovatto (a horror veteran who has starred in modern classics such as It Follows and The Pope’s Exorcist). The game show host is played by Tony Hale, still best known for his comedic roles in Arrested Development and Veep. Other major performers in Woman of the Hour include Nicolette Robinson, Pete Holmes, and Kelley Jakle.
Sadly, Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut never hit theaters (it’s a Netflix exclusive), meaning there’s no actual box office for it. We say “sadly” because the critics that Kendrick impressed would most certainly have liked to see this movie on the big screen. On Rotten Tomatoes, Woman of the Hour has a 91 percent critical score, with critics generally praising how the film creates a startlingly modern examination of misogyny and violence nonetheless rooted in the tragedies of the past.
Aside from that impressive Rotten Tomatoes score, why do we think you should check out Anna Kendrick’s debut film? As a director, she manages to deliver some true chills that will stick with you long after the credits roll. The fact that she managed to do this in the crowded genre of true crime is, honestly, that much more impressive, and her movie (unlike many in this genre) never tries to sensationalize the real-life killer at its center.
Woman of the Hour also cleverly uses its narrative framing as a way of analyzing how serial killer violence is often tethered to misogyny in ways that we are still trying to figure out to this day. It’s an important message that viewers need to understand, but Anna Kendrick never comes across as a preachy or moralistic director. Instead, she presents the horrors of today through the lens of yesterday in a confident way that nonetheless leaves us terrified of what tomorrow may bring.
If we’re being honest, we’re mostly still blown away by the fact that Anna Kendrick, already one of Hollywood’s most reliable talents, is equally as skilled as a director. Will you be as impressed by Woman of the Hour as we were when you stream it on Netflix? You’ll never know until you discover its (ahem) pitch-perfect direction for yourself.