Whether you know of the ‘TV dating show killer’ or not, Woman of the Hour will make you grimace every time the killer appears on the screen, writes Jess Bourne.
A scene setter: it’s the late 1970s, there’s been a string of murders in Los Angeles. No one knows who has done it and the police don’t seem too bothered to investigate. Is it because the victims are women? Probably.
Cheryl Bradshaw, confidently played by Anna Kendrick, is a struggling actress. To make ends meet, she decides to appear on a popular dating show. While on the show, she asks the three different bachelors a variety of questions – subtly testing the waters before she commits.
Cheryl ends up picking Rodney Alcala – the least misogynistic, but the most deadly. Unknowingly to her, he’s the man responsible for the string of killings.
Alcala, expertly portrayed by Daniel Zovatto, manages to capture the killer’s terrifying demeanour with a slight shift in his gaze. His eyes seem filled with rage every time a woman doesn’t act how he wants her to, or doesn’t abide by what he wants. He has the mind of a predator and each woman he kills, or tries to, is his prey. Each time he fails at catching them, it only makes him more hungry.
The standout scene in the 90-minute film is when Cheryl asks all three bachelors what women are for. The first two reply with something degrading, but Alcala responds with what Cheryl wants to hear and ultimately wins her over. This scene is awkward to watch, but was a reality for women in the 1970s.
It’s now the norm for women to receive hateful comments and be called names. So as soon as an unattractive but arguably kind man says something nice, women swoon and fall for these men. Unfortunately, they use the female vulnerability to their advantage. This isn’t something that only happened 50 years ago. It will continue to happen for generations, until education is broadened and reaches every young man.
However, it was confusing why Kendrick got the most screen time when she wasn’t the catalyst for Alcala getting caught. That privilege is given to another victim, who is barely graced with much appreciation or focus.
Ultimately, this film is a reminder that even the supposed nice guys can turn out evil.
