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According to Chris Snellgrove
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Anna Kendrick made a name for herself by starring in a series of classic films such as Pitch Perfect and Scott Pilgrim vs. world. Her amiable “girl-next-door” quality made it difficult for some moviegoers to appreciate how talented she really was. 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.
Scary true story
Anna Kendrick’s debut film focuses on the terrifying case of Rodney Alcala, a real-life serial killer who still took time to appear Dating game in 1978, when he was in the midst of his gruesome murders. 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 being on a national game show will improve her career prospects. Unfortunately, this puts him on a collision course with Alcala, a competitor whose growing body count proves that anyone in his path is a potential target.
As you might expect, Anna Kendrick is starring in her own film, playing the role of an aspiring actress whose career ambitions bring her face to face with a killer deftly portrayed by Daniel Zovatto (horror veteran who has starred in modern classics such as This follows and The Pope’s Exorcist). The game show host is played by Tony Hale, who is still best known for his comedic roles Arrested Development and Veep. Other notable performers in Woman of the hour include Nicolette Robinson, Pete Holmes and Kelley Jakle.
Sadly, Anna Kendrick’s directorial debut never made it to theaters (it’s a Netflix exclusive), which means there is no actual checkout for it. We say “sad” because the critics who impressed Kendrick would definitely love to see this film on the big screen. On Rotten tomatoes, Woman of the hour it has a 91 percent critical score, with critics generally praising how the film creates a surprisingly modern examination of misogyny and violence, yet rooted in the tragedies of the past.
Aside from its impressive Rotten Tomatoes score, why do we think you should check out Anna Kendrick’s debut film? As a director, she manages to create a real chill that will stick with you long after the credits roll. The fact that she did it in the crowded true crime genre is honestly all the more impressive, and her film (unlike many others in the genre) never tries to sensationalize the actual killer at its center.
Woman of the hour it also cleverly uses its narrative framing as a way to analyze how the violence of serial killers is often linked to misogyny in ways we are still trying to figure out. It’s an important message for the audience to understand, but Anna Kendrick never comes off as a preachy or moralizing director. Instead, it presents the horrors of today through the lens of yesterday in a confident way that nonetheless terrifies us of what tomorrow may bring.
To be honest, we’re mostly still blown away that Anna Kendrick, already one of Hollywood’s most reliable talents, is as skilled as a director. You will be so impressed Woman of the hour like we were when you streamed it on Netflix? You’ll never know until you discover its (ahem) perfect direction for yourself.
