Editor’s note: This column discusses murder and sexual assault.

“Woman of the Hour,” a Netflix original film and the directorial debut of “Pitch Perfect” actress Anna Kendrick, recently opened in theaters on October 18.

The movie premiered this year Toronto International Film FestivalI September 2023 is receiving positive reviews. Received a 91% critic rating Rotten Tomatoesand Kendrick wOpen Directors to Watch award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 5.

After watching this movie for the first time recently, I appreciated its technical aspects. However, I found the treatment of the subject a bit empty.

Based on true events, the film follows several victims of serial killer Rodney Alcala and focuses on his time on a dating show in 1978. The film focuses on Cheryl Bradshaw, the real single girl from “The Dating Game.” ” and was presented as a suitor to Alcala in 1978. In the film, Cheryl, played by Anna Kendrick, is an aspiring gamer who accepts being single in “The Dating Game.” She interviews three potential singles with the aim of choosing someone to go on a date with. He doesn’t know that one of the bachelors is Alcala (Daniel Zovatto). The film uses non-linear storytelling by interspersing this story with the stories of Alaca’s other victims, most of whom did not make it out of the encounter alive.

lowerOften referred to as the “Dating Game Killer”, he was a serial killer and convicted sex offender who committed murders in California, New York, and Wyoming between 1977 and 1979. lower There were also hundreds of collectionsds A collection of photographs taken by adult and young women, many in sexually explicit positions.

HE He was first charged with murder in 1980 and sentenced to death. However, it took two more trials before he was found guilty in February 2010. He was eventually convicted on seven counts of first-degree murder, but it is believed to be true. The number of victims could have been as follows: 130 people.

“The Woman of the Hour” showed only the stories of her five victims and did not include any of their cases. But this revealed the lack of effort the police made to stop Alcala, even though many people reported him. In the movie, a viewer of “The Dating Game” recognizes Alcala because he killed his friend. He tries to tell the people running the demonstration to stop the demonstration and later goes to the police to report Alcala, but no one listens to him and they do nothing to help.

The movie did a good job of showcasing Alcala’s cruelty and the impact he had on many people’s lives by showing how charismatic he seemed. For example, he was the only bachelor in the movie who consistently gave sensible, non-misogynistic answers on “The Dating Game,” which led to his victory on the series. The fact that the show’s producers allowed him to appear on a dating show is an example of how well he can mask his violent nature. Watching this incident in the movie was very scary because it shows how easily dangerous people can hide in front of your eyes. The film reveals how easy it can be to trust her and may act as a warning sign to women today to be more careful around strangers.

However, I think the film’s marketing and focus on Alcala appearing on a dating show diminished the film’s impact on me. When I first read the synopsis for the film, I imagined that some disaster would occur during the show, when in reality, nothing too bad happened in its TV appearance.

I understand why Netflix decided to market and focus the movie on this encounter because it’s unlikely that a serial killer would appear on a dating show, and thus it offers a more gripping plot than telling another serial killer story. But I think this undermines the extent of the harm Alcala has done to so many women.

While the film briefly touches on the stories of other women Alcala killed, I don’t think that makes up for ignoring the 100-plus people he assaulted. Before the credits roll, the film provides context for how many people he killed and how long it took him to be convicted of only seven of those murders; But I think adding it quickly to the end would lessen the impact of the murder spree. essays below.

It wasn’t until I watched the movie and started reading more about the stories of Alcala and some of them. surviving victims I realized its size. crimes. I think the film would have had a greater impact on me and more realistically represented the many tragedies on display if they had addressed Alcala’s murders and the public disappointment following his trials in more detail.

I think the film tried to take the subject matter seriously and be respectful, but due to the structure used and its short 95-minute runtime, I think it failed to portray the events in the depth it deserved. I must say that the film is technically excellent, with very strong performances from the actors, striking visuals and good writing. This is definitely a promising directorial debut for Kendrick, and I’m excited to see how he progresses as a director.

If you like suspenseful, true stories, I recommend you check out this movie, but I also recommend you take a closer look at the events that inspired the movie. After watching it, I can say that the truth is much more shocking and heartbreaking than what is shown in the movie.