Anna Kendrick is causing a sensation with the drama “Woman of the Hour”.

America’s fascination with serial killers is seemingly never-ending, and there are numerous films, television shows, books and podcasts dedicated to their murderous exploits. The abundance of content has become so vast that it’s difficult to stand out from the crowd, as the new Netflix film shows Woman of the hour Try to do.

It helps that the film – which is about the famous real-life “Dating Game Killer” Rodney Alcala, whose crimes have been the subject of several documentaries, podcasts and TV shows – stars Anna Kendrick, who both stars in the film as well as the actress making her directorial debut. Kendrick plays Sheryl, a troubled actress in the late 1970s who accepts a gig as a contestant instead of other work The dating game. One of the three bachelors is Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), who – unbeknownst to anyone on the show – had already committed several murders.

Using scenes with The dating game As a basis, Kendrick and writer Ian McDonald take the audience on a journey through time over the course of the film and show how Alcala lures several of his victims. Typically using his camera and flattery to convince women to let him photograph him in a secluded location, Alcala preyed on people all over California in the 1970s.

Because the film contains scenes from multiple points in time, Kendrick is able to experiment with the chronology of events. The first victim shown is from 1977, but others come from 1971, 1978 and 1979, and the mix-up of their scenes is an indication of both how long Alcala had been active and the randomness of his crimes.

It also goes a long way toward figuring out what type of person Alcala was. While it’s easy to demonize a serial killer, and this film certainly does, Kendrick and McDonald find the nuance in the character. His ability to oscillate between extremely charming and extremely creepy is evident throughout, showing why he was able to convince so many different people to follow his wishes.

The dating game Part of the film is a summary of all of Alcala’s other encounters in a certain period of time. Although Cheryl is not allowed to see any of the contestants on the show, she too is fascinated by Alcala, but is frightened by his advances after the recording. Cheryl’s interactions with Alcala take on a heightened tone compared to everything else in the film and keep the viewer on their toes.

The structure of the film is such that Kendrick is the leading lady, but not really the star. Instead, it serves as an entry point into the story and keeps the story moving when she returns to her character’s arc. Zovatto is the true protagonist and he plays all of Alcala’s roles extremely well. It makes him a feared person without ever becoming an over-the-top villain.

Other versions of the serial killer story may delve deeper into the psychology of the person committing the murders, but Woman of the hour is still a solid story that Kendrick tells with panache. Although there is little mystery, the film contains plenty of drama and suspense, making it an unforgettable entry into the ever-expanding serial killer genre.

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Woman of the hour is now streaming on Netflix.